Johns’ murder trial begins today

By Cass Rains Staff Writer

July 07, 2008 11:29 pm

— The trial of a man accused of murder in Blaine County in November 2005 begins today.
Jessie Floyd Johns, 57, faces a possible death sentence, life in prison without parole or life in prison with the possibility of parole in the shooting death Amber Matthews, who was 23 at the time of her death. Johns also is accused of shooting with intent to kill in the wounding of Lauren Drue Kopf.
In addition, he faces charges of grand larceny and possessing a firearm after a felony conviction.
A five-man, seven-women jury was seated Thursday following four days of jury selection. Two female alternates also were selected. The trial was moved to Garfield County after a change of venue was granted.
Johns was present in court during the selection process, sitting between his Oklahoma Indigent Defense System attorneys Craig Corgan and Virginia Sanders, taking occasional notes and conferring with his attorneys. Kopf also was present during the jury selection, sitting with a representative of the district attorney’s office.
The majority of prospective jurors were dismissed because of their views on the death penalty.
Another man, Wendell Arden Grissom, was convicted in March of the same crimes Johns and was sentenced to death.