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Former co-defendant testifies in stabbing case
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
The former co-defendant of Albert Byrd IV, accused in an Aug. 1 stabbing death, testified Friday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court that Byrd told her he had stabbed Jermaine Donlow.
In addition, Louanne Johnson, 22, testified before Judge Anthony D’Apolito that Byrd, 24, had blood on his clothes after a fight in her apartment in which police say Donlow, 26, was stabbed to death.
Byrd is charged with murder in Donlow’s death, which happened about 3:30 a.m. Aug. 1 after a fight in Johnson’s Tyrell Avenue apartment. Donlow used to date Johnson.
Johnson testified she was with Byrd in her apartment when Donlow approached them outside and said Byrd had to leave.
Johnson also was originally charged with murder but she pleaded guilty Monday to a reduced charge of obstructing justice in exchange for her testimony against Byrd.
The trial began Thursday after jury selection.
Johnson testified she dated Donlow for a couple of months this spring and summer. She said in June, she entered a guilty plea to a domestic violence-related charge for an incident with Donlow and shortly after, in July, filed for a protection order against him, which she was granted.
The morning Donlow was killed, Johnson testified she was in her apartment about 12:30 a.m. when she heard a knock on her door. A couple of hours later, she heard another knock and someone pulled the fire alarm. She called 911, believing it was Donlow.
Byrd was acting “paranoid,” she testified, and he grabbed a knife from the kitchen. Byrd wanted to leave but she did not, and when he did leave, she went with him, Johnson testified.
They were outside when they ran into Donlow, who told Johnson that Byrd had to go. Byrd shoved Johnson inside the building and began fighting with Donlow, Johnson testified.
She was in her apartment when the two wound up in there, fighting and rolling on the floor. Johnson left and called 911 and went to her car.
A few moments later, Byrd came outside with blood on his shirt and told Johnson to drive him to his mother’s house on Dunlap Avenue.
On the way there, Byrd told Johnson he had stabbed Donlow, Johnson testified.
The trial is expected to continue Monday.