Mother testifies in Johnson hearing
By JEFFREY SAULTONPARKERSBURG - Jury selection began Monday in the trial of a Parkersburg man who was indicted for the murder of his girlfriend's daughter.
William Ryan Johnson, 31, currently in custody at the North Central Regional Jail, was re-indicted in January on charges of murder, murder of a child by a guardian or custodian and death of a child by a guardian or custodian in connection to the death of Jada M. Whited, who was 15 months old. She was the daughter of Johnson's girlfriend, Stephanie White, 26.
Johnson was originally indicted April 12, 2007, on the charges.
In a pre-trial evidence hearing before the jury selection process began, White provided testimony on what Wood County Prosecutor Ginny Conley said would give a clear time frame for incidents leading up to the death of the infant in January 2007. White is in custody at the Lakin Corrections Center.
White said she met Johnson on Nov. 13, 2005, and they started living together then. On June 6, 2006, she first noticed an injury on her daughter's leg. White testified Johnson said the child began crying and woke him up in the night and he noticed her leg was caught in a gap between the mattress and the slats of the cradle.
At the time White said she believed that was the cause for what she was told was a spiral fracture. She said she was told by a bone specialist it was a common fracture in toddlers and could occur easily. She was told that type of fracture was not reported as a sign of possible abuse.
In November 2006 she said Johnson told her Whited got a knot on her forehead when she caused an empty casing for a computer he was working on to fall on her. White said she saw the knot but did not take her to the hospital since she did not appear to be injured by the accident. White said Johnson was alone with the child in the incident.
In April, White was sentenced to three to 15 years in prison after her December plea to a charge of child neglect resulting in a death.
Before jury selection began, a number of motions were heard including one from the defense to bifurcate the trial on the mercy issue, meaning if Johnson were convicted, a separate hearing would be needed to determine if he would be eligible for parole. Wood County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Reed may rule on the motion this morning.
In arguments on the issue, Conley said the issue was not discussed with the defense, stating the motion was made by Johnson's attorney, Bill Merriman, after the deadline for motions. Merriman said he made the motion since he and his client do not think he will be convicted.
In a ruling regarding an earlier hearing Reed said he would admit testimony from former neighbors stating they saw Johnson handle the child roughly and from a former cellmate who said Johnson admitted he killed the child. He also admitted White's testimony.
Arguments on the motions are to begin today at 8:30 a.m. and jury selection is to resume at 9 a.m.
