A jury trial began Monday for Jaikorian Johnson, the teenager charged with the 2020 murder of 15-year-old Corban Henry. Highlights from the first day included the defense claiming Johnson acted in self-defense, an allegation that Henry was in possession of and brandished an airsoft pistol during the incident, a brief testimony from Corban’s mother Nancy, and approximately 50 items — including two 9 mm handguns and an airsoft pistol — being entered into evidence.
The trial is expected to extend through Friday. Tuesday’s proceedings will begin with the Commonwealth calling more of their witnesses to the stand.
Much of Monday was spent on jury selection, which lasted nearly four hours. Proceedings then began shortly after 2:30 p.m. and included opening statements from the prosecution and defense along with testimonies from Nancy Henry and Jim Parahm of the Owensboro Police Department.
Editor’s Note: While the opening statements for each side include references to what will be presented as evidence this week, the statements themselves can not be considered evidence.
Quick facts of the case
Johnson is facing multiple charges in the case. In addition to the murder charge, he’s facing charges of attempted murder, tampering with physical evidence, and four counts of wanton endangerment.
On Aug. 15, 2020, Owensboro Police Department officers responded to the 1500 block of W. 5th Street at approximately 10:24 p.m. for a firearm discharge. Upon arrival, officers found a deceased male juvenile — later identified as 15-year-old Corban Henry — with a single gunshot wound.
Johnson was detained at the time but was released after a few hours. He was later arrested on May 4, 2021, and he was arraigned in Daviess County Circuit Court on July 22, 2021.
Prosecution’s opening statements
Daviess County Commonwealth’s Attorney Bruce Kuegel is the prosecutor on the case. Much of his opening statement was spent detailing three main locations where evidence was found during the initial investigation of the shooting.
He started by asking the jury to “go back in time” to Aug. 15, 2020.
Kuegel said: “It’s a warm evening, it’s a clear evening. Suddenly the peacefulness of the West end is shattered. Gunshots. Moped. Body in the street. Frantic 911 calls start coming into Owensboro Police Department. Officers arrive. They do what they can for the victim, a young man laying in the middle of the eastbound lane of W. 5th Street, right at the intersection of Orchard. Bloody. Moped is laying over on its side. One of the officers checks him. He’s deceased. He’s dead, right there laying in the street.”
Kuegel said he’ll be calling witnesses that will detail more specifically what they saw and heard that night. He said that upon examination of Henry’s body, a single gunshot was found and that the bullet went all the way through his body and even struck the driver of the moped, a male juvenile.
The juvenile was driving the moped and Henry was riding on the seat behind him, Kuegel said.
Kuegel said that at 11:01 p.m., Daviess County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Zach Morris was flagged down by a woman who claimed she knew about the shooting and saw someone running into a house on Werner Avenue.
Kuegel said the homeowner gave permission for Morris and other deputies to search the house, where they located two juveniles — who Kuegel later identified as Johnson and Logan Clark. The juveniles were taken into custody.
According to Kuegel, DCSO deputies went back to the house and, upon the homeowner signing a consent form, they searched for more evidence. One deputy reportedly found a bag and upon opening it could see the butt of a gun. Kuegel said an OPD officer was immediately called to come take charge of the evidence.
Kuegel said the contents of the bag notably included two handguns and a fanny pack that he said will be a key piece of evidence during testimony later this week.
Switching back to the location of the shooting, Kuegel said OPD found “two separate crime scenes.” One was the intersection of 5th and Castlen, three blocks west of the intersection 5th and Orchard.
Kuegel said five shell casings were found in the street in the area of 5th and Castlen. He said one spent bullet was also found at 5th and Orchard.
The prosecution will also be relying on video footage from the Super A convenience store at the intersection of 5th and Crabtree. Kuegel said Johnson and Clark can be seen in and around the store at multiple times, including just before the shooting.
Kuegel said Johnson’s gunshot residue kit came back showing that he had residue on his hands. He also said the bullet that was found was fired from one of the two handguns found in the bag and the casings also matched that same gun. Kuegel then said that only Johnson’s DNA was found on that gun.
Defense’s opening statements
Ramon McGee, an attorney based out of Louisville, is representing Johnson in the case.
“Jaikorian Johnson did what he had to do on Aug. 15. He did what he had to do to save his life that day,” McGee said. He added that when Johnson and Clark were walking along 5th Street, “They heard the sound of a moped approaching up slowly behind them. When Jaikorian heard that sound, it sent a chill up his spine. You see, because that sound, ladies and gentlemen, meant that Jaikorians’ life was in danger, again. It meant that he was at risk of being killed, again.”
McGee said to understand the case, it is important to understand what led up to that moment and why Johnson “was in such fear of his life.”
According to McGee, Johnson first faced gunfire when he was 12 years old, when a stranger shot into a crowd at a park in Owensboro. McGee said two of Johnson’s uncles were shot and killed weeks apart in 2017.
McGee then said Johnson was the victim of two attempted shootings just days apart, and just days ahead of the incident with Henry.
McGee said the first was about 10 days prior when a person rode up to Dugan Best on a scooter and shot at another person he was fighting with along with the nearby crowd. McGee said Johnson was part of that crowd but was uninvolved with the incident.
McGee said just three days before the incident with Henry, Johnson was walking with Clark in front of Greentree Apartments when a man stepped out of an alleyway wearing a mask and had “curly, bushy hair.” McGee said the man shot at the juveniles, and the incident was investigated by OPD.
Johnson did not own a gun at the time but decided to get one due to those incidents, acquiring it two days before the incident with Henry, according to McGee.
McGee then detailed Johnson’s day on Aug. 15, saying Johnson and Clark played video games before going to Johnson’s cousin’s house. McGee said they can be seen going to get snacks at the Super A. An hour or so later, Johnson and Clark decided to return to Johnson’s house to get some of his belongings for an overnight stay at Clark’s house, according to McGee.
McGee said the boys went back to the Super A, where they waited outside and paid someone else to purchase Black & Mild cigars for them, which the person did.
McGee switched to describing Henry’s and the other juvenile — identified as a friend of Henry’s — actions leading up to the incident. He said that, in the presence of others who witnessed the plans, Henry and the friend made plans to rob $80 from a specific person they knew was at Smothers Park.
A third party who McGee said knew about those plans told Henry and the friend which route to take.
However, McGee said the two did not go to Smothers Park and instead went to 5th Street. He then alleged there was a “running beef” between Clark and Henry due to Henry allegedly previously stealing a scooter from Clark.
McGee said at some point the driver of the moped left 4th Street and got on 5th Street. He claimed the driver “crept up” behind Clark and Johnson on the scooter and eventually pulled up beside them.
McGee alleged Henry pulled out “what looked like a pistol” and started “waving it and pointing it” at Johnson and Clark. McGee said there are previous police reports of Henry “doing that very thing before” to other people in the area.
McGee said EMTs later found what they thought looked like a pistol — but was later determined to be an airsoft pistol — tucked in Henry’s waistband.
What Johnson saw “made his blood run cold” because it was reminiscent of what just happened a few days prior, McGee said, adding that Johnson started running and “blind firing” backwards toward the scooter.
McGee claimed that where the shell casings were found prove that Johnson did not stand and take aim but rather was running to create distance between the parties.
McGee said Johnson and Clark then ultimately made their way back to Johnson’s house. As they were planning on staying at Clark’s house overnight, they packed a bag with clothes and also placed the guns inside, McGee said. Clark’s mother then picked them up, unaware of the guns in the bag.
Clark’s mother actually took them to her sister’s house on Werner Avenue, according to McGee. The boys stayed and were found by DCSO deputies upon the search a short time later.
McGee said the two were still under the impression they were about to be attacked when they were walking, so they felt safe when they saw the officers.
The juveniles were detained and subjected to gunshot residue tests and buccal swabs (which collects DNA) but were then released. It wasn’t until 9 months later that Johnson was arrested in his home.
Testimony from Nancy Henry
Clutching a framed photo of Corban from when he was 13 years old, Nancy Henry was the first witness called to the stand. Most of her testimony was detailing Corban’s hobbies and personality.
Upon questioning from McGee, Nancy noted that she had been in constant contact with OPD Detective Josh Aslip.
McGee entered into evidence a specific email dated Aug. 31, 2020, from Nancy to Aslip. She said she didn’t remember the specific email due to the numerous messages she’s sent and received along with the emotions of the incident — to which McGee said was understandable.
Nancy then read the email, which essentially detailed her saying that the driver’s account of the incident had changed multiple times and she asked Aslip if a lie detector test had been administered.
The defense had not further questions. In a redirect, Kuegel noted that Henry and Aslip had communicated often throughout the investigation due to her not feeling the process was moving along fast enough and because she wanted to get justice for Corban.
Testimony from OPD’s Jim Parham
Jim Parham supervises the OPD Crime Scene Unit’s collection of evidence. He detailed how evidence is collected and entered into the system.
Parham identified about 50 pieces of OPD evidence that were entered as the Commonwealth’s evidence in the case.
That evidence includes two 9 mm pistols, bullets, and magazines; an airsoft pistol; a spent bullet and casings; gunshot residue kits, fingerprints, and DNA results for Johnson and Clark; clothing taken from Henry’s body; suspected drugs and paraphernalia; and more.
Parham also testified that he was asked to find latent fingerprints (those not apparent to the eye) on the bag and contents that was found at the residence on Werner Avenue. He said 15 total prints were found, including 12 fingerprints and three palm prints. He said four of those prints were matched to Johnson.
We’ll continue to provide updates as the trial continues.
