Case file 0049

Jayna Murray: The Store Scene That Concealed a Different Crime

The initial appearance of two victims changed as investigators examined what happened inside the Bethesda shop.

Jayna Murray and Brittany Norwood were found inside a Bethesda, Maryland Lululemon store on March 12, 2011. Murray was dead; Norwood was bound and appeared injured. The initial scene suggested an attack on both women. Investigators later identified Norwood as Murray's killer. ^[S1]

Returning after closing

The appellate account says the coworkers had left the store the night before. Norwood obtained Murray's number after saying she had left her wallet behind, then asked Murray to meet her and let her back in. Their return led to the fatal encounter. ^[S1]

The staging

The court describes Norwood arranging the scene to resemble a robbery, using shoes kept for customers to create footprints and moving Murray's car. She also inflicted superficial injuries and bound herself before waiting to be discovered. ^[S1]

Those details explain why the first appearance of the scene was not the final evidentiary account. They do not support dismissing reports of assault in other cases; this reconstruction belongs to the evidence and judgment in Murray's killing.

The verdict and appeal

A jury found Norwood guilty of first-degree murder in November 2011. She received life without parole in January 2012. Maryland's Court of Special Appeals affirmed in April 2015, addressing challenges to police statements and testimony. ^[S1]

The case's retail-store nickname can obscure the person who died. Jayna's name, the documented return to the shop and the later verdict provide a clearer outline than the original staged story or graphic descriptions of her injuries.