DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A mother whose 7-year old-son was shot execution-style broke down in court after hearing the suspect in the killing may not go to trial this year.
Lamonica Johnson said the delays in the case, over the past four years, are tearing her family apart.
Johnson and her husband, Timothy, said they went to the DeKalb County Courthouse expecting the defendant to accept a plea at a Wednesday hearing. To their dismay, there was no plea and the trial may not even happen this year.
"It's more like we're the suspects. We're suffering for what he did," Johnson said. "I lost my child. He gets to stand up in court and speak."
Police said the suspect, Willie Kelsey, killed Timothy Johnson, jr. while he slept in bed and wounded his 15-year-old sister, in 2006. The shooting happened one day before the boy's mother was scheduled to testify in another trial. Police said they believe Kelsey attacked the children to prevent Johnson from testifying.
WSB-TV Lamonica Johnson Kelsey faces the death penalty in the case, but the trial has been delayed several times because he has changed attorneys multiple times. Defense attorneys also said they were working on several death penalty cases, which has hampered their ability to get ready for Johnson's trial.
The Johnsons said they are tired of waiting.
"We're just seeking justice, and it seems like it's never going to come. I don't know what to do at this point," said Timothy Johnson.
Prosecutors have announced they are open to accepting a plea in the case. Johnson said she would like one so she can get some peace of mind.
WSBTV
