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Jurors return today to deliberate man’s fate in murder trial
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Jurors in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court will return today to deliberate the fate of a Midlothian Boulevard man charged in a November shooting death in a South Avenue bar.
The jury deliberated several hours Thursday and were released for the day about 5:30 p.m. after failing to reach a verdict.
Johnny Wallace III, 23, is charged with murder in the Nov. 28 death of Colin Brown, 45, in the restroom of the Last Call bar, 2929 South Ave., on the city’s South Side
Jurors received the case about 10:30 a.m. Thursday after hearing closing arguments and instructions in the law from Judge Lou A. D’Apolito.
Prosecutors did not offer a motive for Brown’s death and said they did not know why he was killed.
Wallace testified on his own behalf Wednesday, denying he was ever in the restroom while he was at the bar.
He said he ran out of the bar when he heard a gunshot. Wallace said he was playing pool most of the time he was in the bar.
In her rebuttal to the defense closing argument, Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Cantalamessa said all prosecution witnesses were consistent in their statements to the police and their testimony that they saw Wallace go into the restroom with Brown, heard a gunshot, then saw Wallace walk out of the restroom.
“Everybody who was at that scene who remained in the bar said it was Trey,” Cantalamessa said, referring to a nickname that Wallace used.
Cantalamessa also said a hat found on the cusp of the doorway to the restroom had Wallace’s DNA inside.