Bail left at $500,000 for suspect in violent slaying of Little Rock teen

Judge cites firing of six bullets

A Pulaski County circuit judge, citing the violent slaying of a 19-year-old Little Rock man, refused on Tuesday to reduce the $500,000 bail of the boy accused of killing him.

Kordell Lynn Johnson was shot six times, including three times in the back with one in the buttocks, Judge Chris Piazza noted.

Arrested about a week after Johnson's October slaying, Latoris Edward Henry, 16 at the time, wanted his first-degree murder bail reduced to a more-affordable $100,000.

Deputy prosecutor Robbie Jones opposed a reduction, citing Johnson's two juvenile arrests, both of which were for possessing guns. Both cases were dismissed.

Defense attorney Willard Proctor argued that the only things connecting Henry to the slaying are the statement of a teenage girl who initially lied to police and Johnson's last words to the officers who found him mortally wounded.

Proctor said there is reason to believe Johnson was so high on marijuana when he was shot that he would not have been able to identify his assailant.

One witness said Henry was in the apartment where Johnson was shot while a second claims to have seen him on the grounds, but the girl police believe witnessed the shooting has given conflicting stories and initially lied to police about who she was. The girl gave police a fake name, but detectives figured out that she was a runaway from another county, Proctor told the judge.

[INTERACTIVE MAP: Search all killings in Little Rock, North Little Rock in 2017]

There is no DNA, ballistics or fingerprints tying Henry, now 17, to the killing, Proctor told the judge.

He also urged the judge to consider that Johnson was carrying a gun when police found him, and that police have heard rumors that underworld figures had put a price on Johnson's head because he was believed to be responsible for a killing.

Word on the street is that Henry had been paid $10,000 to kill Johnson, detective Aaron Oncken testified. He said Johnson had been the victim of mistaken identity because he sometimes used the nickname Kaydee. The detective did not say for which killing Johnson had been blamed.

Johnson died a day after police found him in his home at the Big Country Chateau apartments on Colonel Glenn Road. He told the officers who found him that he was dying, and named his killer as "JT" when they asked who had shot him, Oncken testified.

All three witnesses identified Henry in a police photo lineup as "JT," the detective said.

He told the judge that Johnson had arranged to have some marijuana delivered to his home and that the drugs were delivered by "JT" and an unidentified man.

Oncken testified that Henry laughed "all through the process" while he explained how the teen came to be charged.

"He was laughing about being charged with murder," he said.

Oncken scoffed at accusations that he'd told the teen he would have him raped in jail or would seek the death penalty for him.

Proctor disputed Oncken's description of the teen's demeanor, characterizing Henry's laughter as a nervous reaction to being charged with murder while being threatened by the detective.

Henry's mother, Chantanzilyn Alexander, told the judge that Henry was with her at a family cookout when Johnson was killed.

ADVERTISEMENT

More headlines

Metro on 03/28/2018

Upcoming Events