Shannon Johnson – black, age 22
Sentenced in New Castle County, Delaware
By: a judge upon jury recommendation
Date of crime: September 24, 2006
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Johnson fatally shot Cameron Hamlin (age 25). Johnson’s ex-girlfriend was a passenger in Hamlin’s car when Johnson pulled alongside in his van, questioned the woman and then fired a gun three times. Johnson’s ex-girlfriend was wounded during the shooting. During the penalty phase, prison inmate Lamont Davis testified that Johnson approached him, in prison, about killing the ex-girlfriend so she could not testify against him. A woman also testified that Johnson drove her to a parking lot in Wilmington in 2002 and raped her. On November 10, 2006, Johnson approached a car driven by Lakeisha Truitt, fired a gun at the car, smashed the driver’s side window, dragged her from the car, shot her, and fled the scene. Truitt survived. The defense argued that Johnson suffers from two disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and antisocial personality disorder, and could get better with treatment.
Prosecutor(s):
Defense lawyer(s):
Sources: AP Alert 3/27/08 – DE 18:37:01; AP Alert 4/1/08 – DE 10:44:15; AP Alert 4/4/08 – DE 11:01:34; US State News 9/5/08 (2008 WLNR 17450252); AP Alert 3/18/08 – DE 11:07:35
By: a judge upon jury recommendation
Date of crime: September 24, 2006
Prosecution’s case/defense response: Johnson fatally shot Cameron Hamlin (age 25). Johnson’s ex-girlfriend was a passenger in Hamlin’s car when Johnson pulled alongside in his van, questioned the woman and then fired a gun three times. Johnson’s ex-girlfriend was wounded during the shooting. During the penalty phase, prison inmate Lamont Davis testified that Johnson approached him, in prison, about killing the ex-girlfriend so she could not testify against him. A woman also testified that Johnson drove her to a parking lot in Wilmington in 2002 and raped her. On November 10, 2006, Johnson approached a car driven by Lakeisha Truitt, fired a gun at the car, smashed the driver’s side window, dragged her from the car, shot her, and fled the scene. Truitt survived. The defense argued that Johnson suffers from two disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and antisocial personality disorder, and could get better with treatment.
Prosecutor(s):
Defense lawyer(s):
Sources: AP Alert 3/27/08 – DE 18:37:01; AP Alert 4/1/08 – DE 10:44:15; AP Alert 4/4/08 – DE 11:01:34; US State News 9/5/08 (2008 WLNR 17450252); AP Alert 3/18/08 – DE 11:07:35