New Lenox Murder Trial Comes To An End For Kevin Johnson, 21

JOLIET — At last week's bench trial for New Lenox murder defendant Kevin Johnson, one of his three taxpayer-funded Will County Public Defenders, Jason Strzelecki, announced during opening statements that Christopher Johnson would take the witness stand to provide his younger brother with an alibi for the time of a May 11, 2020, gas station murder.

On Monday afternoon, the defense team of Strzelecki and fellow public defenders Jaylen Windham and Samantha Kerins had their opportunity to present their side, to call their witnesses after the Will County State's Attorney's Office rested in the Circle K gas station shooting of Charlie Baird, 19.

The young man from New Lenox patronized his local gas station, where he was a regular customer, around midnight on May 10-11, 2020. When he returned to his vehicle, Kevin Johnson emerged from the backseat of a car previously stolen in Lockport, and Johnson shot Baird once in the back, according to last week's testimony from Marquez Whitfield, an Illinois Department of Corrections prisoner, who is serving time at the prison in Danville for an unrelated gun crime in Cook County.

Whitfield, now 20 years old, testified last week that he was solely responsible for trying to break into Baird's vehicle, only to find the back passenger door locked, minutes before the shooting.

Whitfield testified that upon returning to the stolen SUV, Kevin Johnson grabbed Whitfield's gun from inside the car and confronted Baird as the victim returned from inside the Circle K gas station. Whitfield saw Kevin Johnson shoot Baird once in the shoulder area, he testified.

On Monday, it turned out, the public defender's office chose not to present much of a case at all. The three public defenders did not call Christopher Johnson to testify in Courtroom 405 after all.

Additionally, the public defenders chose not to call their client to testify in his own defense.

The defense presented one witness as part of their case, New Lenox police detective Brandon Tilton, who previously testified last week for the prosecution.

Tilton was put on the witness stand on Monday afternoon to answer various questions about the interview statements made by witnesses during the 2020 murder investigation.

On Tuesday afternoon, the lawyers will return to Will County Courtroom 405 to make their closing arguments and Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak will decide Kevin Johnson's guilt or innocence. The defendant chose to his fate decided by the judge rather than a jury of 12 Will County citizens.

Related:

• Eyewitness: Kevin Johnson Fatally Shot Charlie Baird At Gas Station
• DNA From Stolen SUV Came From Kevin Johnson: New Lenox Murder Trial Testimony
• Murder Of Charlie Baird: Daring Daytime Crime Preceded Shooting
• Murder At New Lenox Gas Station: 'It's My Son Charlie'
• Defendant In New Lenox Homicide Says He Has Alibi, Victim's Mother Says 'BS'