Defense Challenges Evidence in Double-Murder Trial

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The state’s case against Omonte Bell and Dyrell Green continued Tuesday as prosecutors moved deeper into the third week of testimony in a New Hanover County double-murder trial.

Bell and Green are charged in the July 2021 killings of Briyanna Williams and Koredreese Tyson at the home of George Taylor III, the former chief operating officer of Tru Colors Brewing. The Wilmington-based brewery, which gained national attention for employing active gang members as part of its violence-interruption mission, closed in 2022.

Much of Tuesday’s testimony focused on digital evidence collected during the investigation. Defense attorneys extensively questioned the state’s digital forensics analyst about text messages exchanged among Bell, Green, and Raquel Adams.

Adams was convicted in 2025 for his role in the shootings.

The defense sought to challenge the significance of the messages and cast doubt on whether the communications placed Bell and Green at the scene of the killings.

Prosecutors have argued the cellphone evidence helps establish connections among the defendants and supports the state’s timeline of events leading up to the shootings.

According to prosecutors, the state has approximately six witnesses remaining before it rests its case.

The trial is expected to continue on Wednesday.