Toledoan sentenced to life in prison for Ravine Park murder

10/29/2013

A Toledo man convicted in the shooting death of a man at Ravine Park Village last year was sentenced today to life in prison with parole eligibility after 23 years.

Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Frederick McDonald imposed the sentence on Jonathon Johnson, 23, of 1657 Vance St., for the Oct. 5, 2012, murder of Jonathan Morris, 22.

Johnson, declaring himself an innocent man, said he intends to appeal, and his attorneys told the court they intend to file a motion for a new trial because of evidence that came to them after Johnson’s jury trial was concluded.

Johnson was convicted Oct. 3 of murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, and carrying a concealed weapon. He was one of three co-defendants charged in the case, but two of those co-defendants agreed to testify against Johnson as part of a plea agreement.

Andrew Goetz, 29, of 614 Earl St., and Chaz Jackson, 28, of 1158 Clark St., each pleaded guilty to robbery in the case. Goetz was sentenced to six years in prison and Jackson was sentenced to four years.

Goetz and Jackson testified during Johnson’s trial that they went to Ravine Park Village to take back some money and drugs that Goetz believed Mr. Morris had stolen from him earlier that night at the Bottom Line bar. Goetz said he struck Mr. Morris in the head with a revolver loaned to him by Johnson and that Jackson removed Mr. Morris’s pants to get Goetz’s property back.

Both said they had gotten what they came for and were walking away when Johnson shot Mr. Morris.