Credibility of Victim’s Friend Comes into Question in 2019 Murder Trial

By Andrew Michaels , Alyssia Davis [former] - May 12, 2023
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Shooting | Suspects | Victims |

Homicide defendant Aaron Michael Clubb shot and killed 22-year-old Jaquan Johnson during a drug deal gone bad, a Baltimore City prosecutor told jurors on May 10 in what he described as “a classic case of felony murder.”

After a day of deliberation, the jury found the 26-year-old defendant guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, and illegal possession of a firearm on May 11. He was found not guilty of conspiracy to first-degree murder murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and firearm use in a felony violent crime.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Schiffer presided over the trial.

Johnson and his friend had planned to meet with three other men, including Clubb, to sell the men Xanax bars on the 2900 block of Pulaski Highway on July 15, 2019, the prosecutor said in her closing argument on Wednesday. When one of the three men pulled out a handgun and announced the robbery, Clubb was seen on video surveillance footage taking the pills and a cell phone from Johnson and his friend.

The prosecutor reminded the jury of Johnson’s friend’s testimony, specifically, when Johnson resisted, telling the accused robbers, “I’m not with that,” as they stole from him.

Johnson’s friend testified that he ran away and it was at that time that he heard Johnson, who also had a handgun, get shot. Baltimore Police were able to identify Clubb as one of the three men involved in the robbery after conducting witness interviews and watching video surveillance footage.

Court documents state that police also followed a trail of blood—later identified as Clubb’s blood—that lead them to the pill bottle, which was found on the 100 block of Curly Street. This was the same direction the suspects ran in the recovered video footage.

“Every case is about credibility,” defense attorney Alex Leikus countered. “In this case, it’s about the credibility of [Johnson’s friend]. How do we know [the victim’s friend’s] version of events are credible?”

Leikus explained that while Clubb spoke with police three times, provided his DNA, and identified himself, the victim’s friend never said anyone fired the handgun and never saw the person who shot Johnson.

There was also no evidence of a blood trail or a pill bottle presented at trial, he concluded.