Trial Opens for Winston-Salem Man Accused of Murder Following Heated Bar Dispute
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A courtroom in Forsyth County was the setting Friday for the trial of Robert Granato, 27, charged with first-degree murder following the fatal shooting of Julius Sampson Jr., a local barber, outside a bustling mall restaurant nearly five years ago. In a dramatic recount of the events leading up to the altercation, the prosecution painted a picture of a premeditated attack rather than a case of self-defense, as claimed by the defense. …