Closing arguments Thursday afternoon in double homicide trial
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Nov. 3—WILKES-BARRE — Attorneys for double homicide suspect Jayshawn Malik Johnson presented three witnesses in their defense, including a DNA expert that prosecutors unsuccessfully wanted from taking the stand.
Johnson's three day Luzerne County jury trial ended late Thursday on charges he fatally shot two men and seriously injured a third man outside Bo's on Main, a night club on South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, on Jan. 30, 2021.
Closing arguments are set for this afternoon before Judge David W. Lupas.
Johnson's attorneys, David V. Lampman II and Leonard Gryskewicz Jr., called Arthur W. Young, a forensic biologist specialist with Guardian Forensic Sciences based in Abington near Philadelphia.
Young was brought in as a defense witness to counter the DNA expert for prosecutors who testified Wednesday regarding DNA recovered from a jacket, a black with white strips with the word White on the back.
Surveillance footage played to the jury by District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce, First District Attorney Anthony G. Ross and Assistant District Attorney Gerry Scott alleges the gunman wore the same type of jacket.
Jurors were told by the prosecution's DNA expert that Johnson's DNA was found on the jacket.
Young, however, claimed the DNA was more prevalent of a female than a male.
Johnson's attorneys also called Thomas Harding, a retired detective with Wilkes-Barre police and a private detective who measured a parking meter in front of the night club.
In response to questions by Lampman, Harding said investigators could not find any witnesses to identify the gunman until Wilkes-Barre police Det. James Conmy recognized Johnson, 22, from video footage.
Lampman has told the jury Conmy's identification was mistaken.
It is likely the jury will again see multiple surveillance videos of the gunman inside and outside the night club during Sanguedolce's closing argument.
