In his opening statement, defense attorney Tom Blaylock told jurors to remember that Commonwealth's Attorney Brad Finch's statement was not evidence.
"Time will tell what the commonwealth can or cannot prove," he said. "Remember what you promised to do and that's to keep an open mind."
A murder case has three major issues, he said: who, how and why. This is not a case about who or how, he said. "This is a case of why. Why did this happen. And during the course of this trial, we will attempt to answer this question."
Blaylock told jurors that this story actually started in 1982 when Morva was born in Richmond. They will talk about his family, he said, and about Morva's upbringing.
Morva moved to Blacksburg in 1996 when his father, a chemical engineer, retired. Morva enrolled at Blacksburg High School, where he was in clubs such as Amnesty International.
He dropped out his senior year. A counselor noted in his school records that he was bright and likeable, but his "free spirit" didn't mesh with the school environment, Blaylock said.
His parents moved back to Richmond but Morva, 18 at the time, stayed in Blacksburg. He became known downtown as "barefoot Will" or "crazy Will" because he would walk around barefoot and talk with people about things like the plight of the American Indian.
His father suffered with cancer for two years before dying. Blaylock said jurors will hear about how his death affected the family.
They will also hear, he said, about Morva's severe sinus problems and irritable bowel syndrome.
When he was jailed on attempted robbery charges in August 2005, Morva was appointed an attorney who failed to see him on a regular basis and failed to get him a bond hearing, something that normally happens within days of being jailed.
Morva, Blaylock said, "sat in jail from August 2005 until May of 2006 before he got bond. This caused him great, great frustration."
"He began to think in his mind that he'd just been left there to rot, that nobody cared." He feared he was going to die in jail, Blaylock said.
"As this seed of isolation grew and grew and grew," he said, "Mr. Morva's abandonment turned into desperation and hopelessness."
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