A 23-year-old Owings Mills man accused of using a sawed-off shotgun to kill the friend of a drug dealer during a botched robbery went on trial Tuesday in Howard County Circuit Court.
Lamont Johnson is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm in the May 2008 death of Jason Batts.
Prosecutors contend that the intended robbery of Elijah Jackson in the parking lot of a Columbia apartment complex was payback for his being a police informant, but the attorney for Johnson contended that the state's case has major flaws.
"The government," William Buie III said in his opening statement, "got it wrong."
Assistant State's Attorney Colleen McGuinn said Johnson was a member of the Bounty Hunters, a Bloods gang faction, who was recruited to teach Jackson "a lesson."
Batts had been out drinking with Jackson and Jackson's sister, Ebony, when they were approached by Johnson and Daymar Wimbish, prosecutors allege.
After the pair announced a robbery, prosecutors say, Batts tried to flee from the driver's seat of his sport utility vehicle but was shot twice.
Buie said there are no fingerprints on the weapon belonging to his client, Johnson, and no confession. He said he'll show that two state witnesses lied to police.
Prosecutors say that through cell phone records they can tie Johnson to Ronald McConnell, who was convicted this year of conspiracy to commit robbery and unlawful possession of a sawed-off shotgun.
Pointing at the witness stand, Buie said, "The truth will come through there."
The first witness to testify was Batts' mother.
A 24-year veteran of the Baltimore County Police Department, Detective Debra Pridgen Batts said Tuesday would have been her son's 24th birthday.
The trial is expected to last about 10 days.
