PETERSBURG, Va. — The man accused of killing a family of four and avoiding police for more than a year was formally charged with four counts on first degree murder by a grand jury Thursday. Alexander Hill Jr., was also charged with a Violation of a protective order.
Hill is being charged for the April 19, 2014 quadruple murder of Pauline Wilkins, her daughter Vicki Chavis Ansar, granddaughter Tanique Davis and great grandson Delvari Chavis in a home on Harding Street in Petersburg. Hill had been the subject of a nationwide manhunt. Hill’s connection to victims is that he was an ex-boyfriend of Vivian Chavis, who lived at the home, but was not there when the violence unfolded.
Hill was captured in a homeless shelter at a church in Buffalo, New York in April.
November hearing
Commonwealth’s Attorney Cassandra Conover called about seven witnesses to testify, including Hill’s ex-girlfriend, Vivian Chase, who told the judge she received more than a dozen threatening phone calls from Hill in the days leading up to the murders.
Chase said Hill stated he was going to kill her and her family after the two split up from what appeared to be a tumultuous relationship.
She cried on the stand while recounting that tragic Friday night when she left her home on Harding street to return early Saturday morning to see the house burning. And then, later learn that the bodies of her mother, sister, niece and nephew were inside.
Prosecutors also played the 911 tape in court in which you could hear Chase’s niece whisper for help. Then the line went dead.
The 911 operator called backed several times. Then someone answered and the victim could be heard screaming in the background.
At that point, there was a gasp in the courtroom and the victims’ family members were crying. Some had to leave the room.
A third witness, whose daughter was married to Hill, testified that he knocked on her door the day of the murders, grabbed a butcher knife and told the woman not to tell anyone he had been there.
Hill will be in court on a motions hearing on December 22.
