Former attorneys testify during day 3 of Lamar Johnson hearing

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KCTV) - Attorneys involved in the original case testified about how they handled the case and what they would have done differently in light of new information.

David Brun was Johnson’s defense attorney. He underscored how little he knew about payments and favor for the eyewitness. He was also unaware a jail informant had a criminal record and had previously been a jail informant in a previous case.

It was the mid-’90s and court records were not available online. It limited the speed and access for defense attorneys.

Lamar Johnson sat stoically at his table listening to testimony. He’s heard all of that before. He’s been begging courts for years to review all the pieces of his case.

He’s convicted in a 1994 murder he swears he did not do.

Johnson’s legal team argues in filings that two men have credibly confessed to the crime. One is now dead and the other testified in person on Monday.

The man who witnessed the murder of Marcus Boyd has recanted, admitting he really couldn’t identify the killer but felt “bullied.”

It appeared to be an important point in court.

The current prosecutor asked if the former prosecutor would have filed charges without an eyewitness.

“Absolutely not. Not unless I had a confession. I didn’t have any evidence!” said former prosecutor Dwight Warren.

The judge immediately asked the court reporter to, “Star that, please.”

The case is back before a judge due to a new state law that gives prosecutors the power to bring cases back to court.

Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner with the Conviction Integrity Unit reviewed the case back in 2019, calling it an unconstitutional police investigation. The report concluded what happened as “Johnson’s wrongful conviction.”

Previous coverage:

A Missouri man was convicted of murder 28 years ago. Now, his case for exoneration begins.

Jaw-dropping testimony in Lamar Johnson hearing includes confession from self-admitted killer

‘You can hide the truth, but eventually it’s going to find a way’; Lamar Johnson hopeful for Monday’s hearing