Jury selection underway in Wilkes-Barre double homicide trial
Oct. 31—WILKES-BARRE — Wilkes-Barre police Det. James Conmy will be able to testify to his alleged identification of a gunman who fatally shot two men and injured a third man outside a South Main Street nightclub in 2021.
Conmy's identification from video footage led investigators to the suspect, Jayshawn Johnson, also known as Times Two, in the killing of Damian Thomas, 32, and Maurice Chapman, 31, and injuring Quan Cade Jr., outside Bo's on Main on Jan. 30, 2021. Cade lost sight in his right eye from the shooting.
How much Conmy will say will be limited during Johnson's trial set to begin this week before Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas.
What the jury won't hear is Conmy identified Johnson from an arrest in an unrelated investigation in 2018.
Jury selection got underway late Monday morning for Johnson's trial on two counts each of criminal homicide and aggravated assault and a single count of criminal attempt to commit homicide.
Earlier Monday, District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce, First Deputy Assistant District Attorney Anthony Ross and Assistant District Attorney Gerry Scott, along with Johnson's attorney, David V. Lampman II, finished ironing out last minute issues before Lupas.
One of those issues was Lampman's request to limit Conmy's testimony regarding Johnson's 2018 arrest.
Another issue was two firearm offenses against Johnson — firearms not to be carried without a license and illegal possession of a firearm, were severed from this week's trial and will be tried at a later date.
Johnson was captured by U.S. Marshals in Miami, Fla., on Feb. 20, 2021, and was eventually extradited to Luzerne County in March 2021.
