Opinion ID: 77991
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Jasen Johns' Death at the Clay Street Home

Text: The parties stipulated that the cause of Jasen Johns' death was a combination of methadone and cocaine. Before his death, from on or about 1997-98, Johns and his first cousin, Michael James Carpenter (Carpenter), would go every other day, every day to the Westry house on Clay Street to purchase drugs, including morphine, oxycontin, and methadone. On November 26, 2001, Carpenter and Johns injected methadone into their arms in a back room of the Clay Street residence. Carpenter then went to Calvin Westry's apartment at Boykin Towers to spend the night. Johns stayed behind, waiting on Defendant Carter, also known as Bip, to come with some cocaine. When Carpenter left, Carter had already arrived and Carter and Johns went to the back of the residence. Julius Sayers, a witness called by the defense, was present at the Clay Street home on November 26 and found Johns' body. Regarding the Clay Street home, Sayers also testified he observed white people at odd times of the night back and forth. He saw other people back and forth constantly who didn't live there. He did not think they were there buying lottery tickets. The people who appeared to be selling drugs appeared to be in competition. Donald Carpenter (Donald), Michael Carpenter's brother and Johns' cousin, also acquired his drugs (pain medication, morphine, oxycontin, lortabs, crack cocaine) from the Clay Street home. He would go with Johns pretty much once a week. They could inject the drugs at the home if they wanted, and would also hang out there from time to time. Sometimes they would stay at the house overnight in the back bedroom or kitchen. Carter and Calvin Westry were some of the people Donald would get drugs from at the Clay Street home between 1988 to 2005. Although Carter stayed at his own home, he would also be at the Clay Street home from time to time. Between his purchases of drugs at the house on Maple Street and the Clay Street home (and whenever he went to one house he would also go to the other), Donald estimates he made about one hundred trips in over 20 years. Toni Johns, Jasen Johns' widow, sometimes accompanied Johns when he would stop by the Clay Street home to pick up drugs.