9 months ago
PALMER PARK, Md. (WUSA) -- We're learning more about a college student from our area, who now sits in a West Virginia jail cell, charged with murder.
The victim? His high school sweetheart, who was pregnant. What happened? It has everyone stumped, including the suspect's mentor who spoke exclusively with 9 News Now digital correspondent Nancy Yamada.
At Forestville Military Academy where Bernard Bellamy graduated two years ago, the high school football coach, Coach Charles Harley recalls a young man with a bright future.
"Kind of a jokester, kind of always into things. Kind of mischievous but a fun-loving kid," says Harley.
Bellamy, a junior at West Virginia State University is now charged with murdering his pregnant girlfriend. Early Sunday morning, Valicia Demery's body was found on the track at Forestville Military Academy where the two met and went to the prom together.
"I've never seen anything that would lead me to believe he would do something like this. I'll be praying for him," Harley says.
Demery's father confirms, "he was the father of her baby. And she was going through a lot of stress because he did not want her to have the baby."
Demery's dad says Bellamy "harassed" his daughter with text messages, urging her to end the pregnancy.
"Why would you take a young life and another's life that hasn't even started? It's unbelievable," says Garrett Demery.
Equally shocked and searching for answers is Coach Harley who visited Bellamy a week ago Tuesday. He says Bellamy didn't appear troubled and didn't indicate problems with his girlfriend.
"I can't even fathom, what would have went through his mind. I've never even seen him in a position to snap.I've never seen him even do anything divisive to make you think this kid could possibly do something crazy. I haven't seen it," says Bellamy.
In college, Bellamy was a psych major, enrolled in ROTC and due to depart for U.S. Army basic training later this month, according to his parents.
Police won't comment on a motive but say she had trauma to the upper body. And it appears she was killed on the track and a vehicle may have been involved.
He was due to depart for U.S. Army basic training later this month, his parents said.
Bellamy's parents believed he was in West Virginia all weekend, according to his father Bernard Bellamy, Sr. The family said their son had dated Demery and gone to the prom with her in high school, but they had not seen her since October of 2008. While a student at Forestville Military Academy, Bellamy was a president of the Student Government Association and captain of both the basketball and golf teams, according to his parents.
Written by Nancy Yamada9NEWS NOW & wusa9.com
