Trial ordered in 2018 murder

A Poplar Bluff man was ordered to stand trial Friday in connection with the 2018 death of a man killed during an apparent drug transaction gone wrong.

James Odell Johnson Jr. was charged Thursday with the Class A felony of first-degree murder and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action (ACA) in the shooting death of Jermaine Johnson.

The 32-year-old’s body was found May 20, 2018, by a citizen who was seining a ditch for crawfish on County Road 612 in eastern Butler County. Jermaine Johnson reportedly suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died as the result of a gunshot wound to his torso.

On Friday, James Johnson made his initial appearance before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce, according to Casenet.

During his appearance, James Johnson reportedly filed a written waiver with the court, waiving his right to a preliminary hearing.

After questioning James Johnson, “the court accepts (the waiver) as voluntary” and ordered he be bound over to stand trial on the charges.

Pierce further ordered James Johnson appear before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett for arraignment, which also occurred on Friday.

In that appearance, James Johnson waived formal arraignment in his case and pleaded not guilty to his charges.

Pritchett ordered James Johnson appear Jan. 12 for a review of his case.

Shanesha Burns also is charged with the Class A felony of first-degree murder and ACA or in the alternative second-degree murder, also known as felony murder in connection with Jermaine Johnson’s death. She is slated to stand trial July 7 to 9 in Butler County on the charges.

The complaint filed with the court Thursday also charges James Johnson with the Class A felony of first-degree assault and ACA in connection with the July 19, 2018, shooting of Poplar Bluff Police Detective Corey Mitchell.

Mitchell was among federal and state law enforcement officers seeking to arrest James Johnson on a federal arrest warrant for alleged violations of the conditions of his supervised release from a previous federal conviction.

Officers learned James Johnson was living at a Kinzer Street apartment in Poplar Bluff. After the officers entered the apartment, James Johnson allegedly fired multiple shots, including one that struck Mitchell in the arm. He later surrendered.

In August, James Johnson was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on the felonies of assaulting law enforcement officers and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with the July 2018 incident.