Trial for murder of beloved Charlotte businessman nears start

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The trial for the murder of a beloved Charlotte businessman is one step closer to beginning.

Scott Brooks was shot and killed in December 2019 as he opened Brooks’ Sandwich House for the day. Two men — Terry Connor Jr. and Steven Staples — are accused of killing Brooks.

The judge and attorneys anticipate the trial starting Friday. For now, the court is working to seat four alternates.

To reach this point, the court had to call in more jurors. The first pool included about 60 people, and another 40 were brought in Wednesday. At least eight potential jurors were excused for reasons including illness, family emergencies, biases they could not overcome, and language barriers.

Cameras are not yet allowed in the courtroom, but independent sketch artist Jerry McJunkins attended proceedings Wednesday.

“Everybody who’s from Charlotte knew of those brothers, and I was just curious, especially with the idea of not having cameras initially, so I thought it would be an opportunity to shake off the dust on my pencils, so to speak,” McJunkins said.

McJunkins said he’s been drawing sketches of trials since the 80s. He said he hasn’t done one since 2019, the same year that Brooks was killed.

“When [the defendants] feel like the camera’s not on them, they’re more relaxed,” McJunkins said. “They show expressions of maybe a witness on the stand or something, they might show a frown or some personal insight.”

Brooks’ Sandwich Shop posted on social media that staff from The Hill Bar and Grill in Mint Hill is helping with staffing during the trial. Queen City News stopped by Brooks’ at lunchtime Wednesday and spoke with Scott’s brother, David, off camera. He said he plans to attend the trial when possible.

Queen City News will be in the courtroom as the final alternates are seated and will bring you updates as the trial gets underway.