A man who is accused of fatally shooting Chattanooga businessman Chris Wright stood his first day of trial Tuesday in Hamilton County Criminal Court.
Darryl Theophilus Roberts, 58, is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Wright was shot in the head Sept. 28, 2023, outside Patten Towers near the intersection of 11th and Market streets. His death garnered some statewide attention and eventually resulted in a law named after Wright. The law targets repeat misdemeanor offenders.
It took most of the afternoon for jurors to be interviewed, and the jury was still not finalized by 5:45 p.m. Several potential jurors were dismissed because they had previously seen or read about the case in the news.
Roberts’ defense team and prosecutors were expected to move Wednesday into opening statements.
There were about 40 witnesses who were subpoenaed to testify at trial, according to the defense, but it is unclear who will ultimately be called to the stand.
The day after Wright’s shooting, Roberts was arrested.
Surveillance footage previously played in court showed Wright stopped to talk to Roberts and two others sitting outside.
After a brief exchange, Wright began to walk away but turned around when Roberts started to approach him from behind.
Roberts then appeared to raise a handgun and shoot Wright in the head. The video has no sound, but a puff of smoke could be seen at the time of the gunshot.
An autopsy released about one month after the incident showed Wright was intoxicated at the time of the shooting. He had a blood alcohol concentration of .201% at the time of his death.
Roberts has faced more than 60 criminal charges since the early 1990s ranging from traffic violations to aggravated robbery, court records show.
In November 2019, Roberts also pleaded guilty in Walker County to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of amphetamine and crossing the guard line with contraband, according to court records.
Contact Sofia Saric at ssaric@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.
Chris Wright