Groveton resident convicted of Warrenton CVS murder

A 77-year-old Groveton resident will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted last week of murdering the manager of a CVS in Warrenton, Va.

A jury found Bernard Clark Duse, who lived on Groveton Street off of Richmond Highway, guilty of first degree murder in the shooting death of 64-year-old Rex Mack Olsen last July. The jury recommended life in prison for Duse, according to Fauquier Now.

Duse

Prosecutors said that Duse, who worked with Olsen at the CVS, drove to the store on one of his days off and ambushed Olsen as he took trash to a dumpster behind the building after closing time. Duse shot Olsen twice, once in the back of the head and once in the face, prosecutors said.

Duse had previously filed an age discrimination complaint against CVS after failing to be selected for a management position. The complaint was ultimately rejected by an arbitrator, according to Fauquier Now, and prosecutors said that provided Duse’s motivation for the killing.

Evidence against Duse included cell phone records that prosecutors said tracked his drive to the store and back to his home on the night of the murder.

Duse testified in his defense during the trial, saying he believed two men he had befriended at a local library may have committed the crime. His lawyers also argued that prosecutors failed to provide a compelling case against Duse, and that a key witness offered conflicting information.

Full coverage of Duse’s trial can be found on FauquierNow.com.