LOS ANGELES – A state appellate court panel on Thursday upheld a man’s conviction for murdering the owner of a computer store in Lancaster during a March 2012 robbery.
The three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense’s contention that a judge in Lancaster had erred by doubling Timothy Jerode Johnson‘s sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole to two life prison terms without parole in October 2014 because of his prior strike for robbery in 2008.
The justices also turned down the defense’s claim that the trial court had erred in giving jurors an instruction about the testimony of Jinea Aarona Ingram, who drove Johnson away from e-Chaps Computer store after the March 23, 2012, shooting death of Reed Keith.
Johnson was convicted in August 2014 of first-degree murder for the killing. Jurors found true the special circumstance allegation that the 59-year- old victim was murdered during the commission of a robbery.
Johnson was also convicted of two counts of second-degree robbery involving the store owner and another person who was eventually able to escape from the store.
The victim argued with Johnson and did not cooperate with his demand to drop to the floor, the justices noted in a nine-page ruling.
“When the owner still did not comply, defendant shot him twice; said, ‘You didn’t think I’d shoot you, did you?; and shot him two more times,” according to the appellate court panel’s ruling.
A subsequent search of Johnson’s house turned up a wallet containing items in the store owner’s name, nine laptop computers with e-Chaps work orders and a pair of shoes with bloodstains, the justices noted.
Ingram — who had been charged with murder, along with Johnson — pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 21 years in state prison.
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Previous related stories:
Man gets double life sentence for robbery, murder of Lancaster store owner
Getaway driver in Lancaster robbery, murder gets 21 years
Man found guilty of robbing, killing Lancaster store owner
Getaway driver in robbery, murder pleads no contest
Pair ordered to trial in Reed Keith murder
Suspects plead not guilty in computer store robbery, killing
Family, friends, community remember Reed Keith
Alleged getaway driver arrested in Friday’s robbery murder
Gunman ID’d in computer store robbery, killing
Man shot dead in computer store robbery; gunman still at large
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bailey says
Now throw away the key.
RT says
How do you know if the owner complied he wouldn’t have shot him? How do you know the killers state of mind?
Rusty Shackleford says
Doesn’t matter, the fact he committed the crime is all that matters. Shouldn’t be taking what is not yours just because you want what someone else has. Earn it like the rest.
Tim Scott says
Actually, whether he committed the crime doesn’t matter either, really. All that really matters is that he was convicted of the crime. That’s what has consequences.
Bob says
Hate Crime
Danny says
Jimmy you are an idiot and that POS that killed him should be executed.
Jimmy G says
The Murderer got what he deserved… but.. if the store owner had complied he would be alive today. I understand he was stubborn and was outraged some thug would come into his store and rob him.. but he rolled the dice and lost, the thug WAS willing to kill him if he didn’t comply.. a gamble he should not have taken… his life was worth much more then his inventory…
Shane Falco says
There’s no guarantee the cockroach was going to leave that store owner alive. That store owner wasn’t going to be pushed around or intimidated by a bottom feeder who needed a gun to take from somebody else in order to feel like a man and steal computers he didn’t even know how to use. Like many, they’d rather die as a real man than bow to the worst of society.
Rest easy Reed Keith, you’re not alone in your convictions.
This coward shot him in the knee, so he’d be alive and in pain right before he killed him…but let’s hope this guy isn’t called any hurtful names by a meanie correctional officer who makes sure he has a comfortable little program in prison.
Jim Scimonetti says
I have been totally outraged over this ever since this idiot and his girlfriend killed this truly wonderful man. Yeah, the little “church girl” was in on it too. What part of “Thou shall not covet, steal and kill” did you not understand? But I digress..
I only met Reed Kieth one time and he seemed to be such a nice person. I was totally shocked to learn he was killed during a robbery at his store. I never understood why anyone would want to rob place like Reed’s computer shop because all I saw in his store was old obsolete junk that he was fixing for his customers. This was by no means some kind of high-end Apple Store. But I went there needing a part, and Reed Kieth found the part I needed off an old junk computer, and he just GAVE IT TO ME. No charge! I tried to give him $10.00 for it and he wouldn’t take it.
While Reed Kieth was searching for the part I needed I noticed he had several customers in the store with serious virus and malware problems on old junky computers. He was patiently solving aggravating problems for his customers with top notch professionalism and class. Most guys would have told them to get rid of that junk, but he actually had the skills and talent to fix it for them and keep their stuff going.
I only knew Reed Kieth for 15 minutes, and yet he made such a profound impact on me with his amazing customer care that I never go into that Clock Tower Plaza without thinking about him.
We need more good people in the world like Reed Kieth. I cannot get over the evil stupidity of these two idiots.
This “urban thug mentality” is totally stupid and destructive and it has got to stop.
Me says
Piece of [removed] should have received a life sentence. I’m sick and tired of these “young men” who take what others have worked hard for and earned.