Post by CCADP on Aug 18, 2005 9:14:41 GMT -5
First Harman-McCann murder trial nears jury
BY JULIE MURPHY
STAFF WRITER
Jury deliberations in the case of accused murderer Timothy Johnson, 23, were expected to begin earlier this week in Wake County, N.C.
Johnson is alleged to be the trigger man in the Sept. 4, 2004 shooting deaths of Brett Harman of Park Ridge and Kevin McCann of Chicago's Northwest Side, which took place at a tailgate party outside of a North Carolina State football game in Raleigh, N.C.
The prosecution completed closing arguments Monday. Sherry Goad, victim witness legal assistant, said Judge Osmond Smith would charge the jury afterwards and that deliberations would begin as early the following morning, Tuesday Aug. 16.
Johnson is eligible for a death sentence, based on his prior plea of guilty in January to an Aug. 23, 2004 home invasion in North Carolina.
In January, Susan Spurlin, assistant district attorney of Wake County, said North Carolina state law allows juries to take into consideration convictions for prior violent crimes when they determine whether life in prison or the death penalty is appropriate.
In Johnson's courtroom testimony, broadcast on local television news reports, he explained his actions at the football game were in defense of his brother, Tony, who had been injured.
Last fall, Dennis McCann, Kevin's father and a wrestling coach at Maine South High School, said police reported that his son and Harman were trying to quash mob action at the tailgate party by pulling others out of the fray. Reports said Harman was shot first and Kevin McCann was shot when he attempted to subdue Harman's attacker. Both men died of their wounds.
Harman, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, stationed near Raleigh, N.C., was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq last fall. McCann and a half-dozen other mutual friends had gone to North Carolina over the Labor Day holiday weekend to visit with Harman before his deployment.
Tony Johnson, 21, also charged in the murder case, is set to go to trial later this fall.
Julie Murphy can be reached at jmurphy@pioneerlocal.com.
BY JULIE MURPHY
STAFF WRITER
Jury deliberations in the case of accused murderer Timothy Johnson, 23, were expected to begin earlier this week in Wake County, N.C.
Johnson is alleged to be the trigger man in the Sept. 4, 2004 shooting deaths of Brett Harman of Park Ridge and Kevin McCann of Chicago's Northwest Side, which took place at a tailgate party outside of a North Carolina State football game in Raleigh, N.C.
The prosecution completed closing arguments Monday. Sherry Goad, victim witness legal assistant, said Judge Osmond Smith would charge the jury afterwards and that deliberations would begin as early the following morning, Tuesday Aug. 16.
Johnson is eligible for a death sentence, based on his prior plea of guilty in January to an Aug. 23, 2004 home invasion in North Carolina.
In January, Susan Spurlin, assistant district attorney of Wake County, said North Carolina state law allows juries to take into consideration convictions for prior violent crimes when they determine whether life in prison or the death penalty is appropriate.
In Johnson's courtroom testimony, broadcast on local television news reports, he explained his actions at the football game were in defense of his brother, Tony, who had been injured.
Last fall, Dennis McCann, Kevin's father and a wrestling coach at Maine South High School, said police reported that his son and Harman were trying to quash mob action at the tailgate party by pulling others out of the fray. Reports said Harman was shot first and Kevin McCann was shot when he attempted to subdue Harman's attacker. Both men died of their wounds.
Harman, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, stationed near Raleigh, N.C., was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq last fall. McCann and a half-dozen other mutual friends had gone to North Carolina over the Labor Day holiday weekend to visit with Harman before his deployment.
Tony Johnson, 21, also charged in the murder case, is set to go to trial later this fall.
Julie Murphy can be reached at jmurphy@pioneerlocal.com.