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Jonathan Keesee
- October 8, 2024
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Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland rescheduled the murder trial of a 29-year-old defendant to early 2025 in an Oct. 8 hearing.
Kemonta Johnson is charged with first-degree murder, firearm use in a felony violent crime, and firearm possession with a felony conviction for a Nov. 24, 2021, incident on the 1000 block of Appleton Street.
Defense attorney Jason Rodriguez and the prosecutor discussed that the trial was supposed to start on Oct. 7, but could not proceed due to scheduling issues.
Judge Copeland ultimately rescheduled the trial to Jan. 30, 2025, for seven days.
According to documents from the District Court of Maryland, Johnson is accused of killing 30-year-old Dontae Johnson. Kemonte’s likely DNA was found on a gun he allegedly threw in a dumpster before his arrest in late November 2021. That same weapon’s test fires closely matched cartridge casings found on the scene of the murder.