Alicia Johnson was arrested in September for fatally stabbing a man at her Rock Hill apartment, but a judge now says that there is not enough evidence to convict her of murder.
40-year-old Johnson alleges that she did not know 54-year-old Anthony Davis would die after she stabbed him. She said she stabbed him with a pair of scissors in self-defense, because he was trying to force her to perform sexual acts on him.
South Carolina Criminal Charges Levied Against Johnson in September
At almost 5:30 AM on September 5th, Johnson called police because there was a dead man on the ground in front of her apartment complex. When officers arrived, they found Davis with a fatal stab wound, lying naked outside. While officers investigated the scene, Johnson walked out of her apartment, identifying herself to the officers as “Kesha” Johnson, and insisted that she did not know Davis. The police, however, noticed cuts on her head, lip, and knuckles, then blood on her hands. They followed a trail of blood drops from the hallway to Johnson’s front door – an apartment they identified later as being rented to “Alicia” Johnson. Police then found a blood-splattered pair of scissors on the couch. Neighbors said they saw Johnson and Davis together at the complex hours before Davis died.
Johnson fell unconscious and was taken to the Piedmont Medical Center.
The next day, Johnson confessed that she knew Davis. The two had gone to the local Bi-Lo to get candles, vodka, and toothpaste, as well as cash to buy crack cocaine. Johnson used $130 to buy the crack for both of them, and when it was nearly done, Davis said he would give the rest of the drug to Johnson if she would perform various sexual acts on him. She agreed, but told police she stalled because she did not want to have sex with Davis.
Because she stalled, Davis became angry, and attacked her. Johnson said she grabbed a pair of scissors, which she had borrowed from a neighbor, and stabbed Davis in what she thought was his arm. She then watched him walk out of her apartment naked, and collapse in the breezeway.
Johnson said in her confession, “I didn’t know Tony was going to die.”
However, she did wait 45 minutes before calling the police.
Prosecutors Argue for Stiffer South Carolina Criminal Charges
Some argued in court that Johnson’s statements had been inconsistent, which, combined with the multiple stab wounds found in Davis’s body, showed that Johnson had malicious intent to kill. However, Johnson’s lawyer argued that she was desperate and acting in self-defense. He said that her injuries were “consistent with someone who is being assaulted.” He added that it was impressive that Johnson called the police at all, as she was drunk on vodka and high on crack cocaine. She could not have intended to kill Davis.
Judge Mandrile Young found that Johnson had probable cause for manslaughter, rather than murder, which changes the South Carolina criminal charges against her.
Prosecutors could still ask a grand jury to consider a murder indictment. The case will move to a grand jury soon, but at the moment Johnson faces South Carolina criminal charges of voluntary manslaughter rather than murder.
Johnson is currently being held without bond.
The Strom Law Firm Can Help with South Carolina Criminal Charges
Although you may have been arrested for a crime, you still have rights and you are not automatically guilty. For experienced criminal defense attorneys who will fight for you, whether the case involves a drug possession misdemeanor, or felony drug trafficking and murder charges, contact the criminal defense attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, LLC today. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm understand the complexity of South Carolina criminal charges. We offer free, confidential consultations, so do not hesitate to contact us.803.252.4800.
