According to a testimony from an Erie police detective on Friday, two men who were both working through the same Erie staffing agency briefly encountered each other on September 22. One of the men, Jeffery L. Johnson, took a bus into downtown Erie, while the other man, Defonta L.D. Butler, followed in his older model red Ford Escape. Surveillance footage revealed that the Ford parked on East 17th Street and as Johnson walked by, a man exited the vehicle and shot him. This incident is part of a case against Butler, who is facing charges including criminal homicide and aggravated assault.
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Prosecutors utilized the detective’s testimony and video evidence, including footage of the shooting, to build their case against Butler. The shooting of Johnson marks the 13th homicide in Erie this year. At the preliminary hearing, Butler was held for trial on all charges.
Officers responded to the scene on East 17th and French streets after the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system alerted them to the incident. The police discovered eight shell casings at the scene and obtained surveillance footage from nearby cameras, providing valuable evidence for the investigation.
Gadsby informed the court that the Ford Escape, which had distinct stickers, was later found in another part of the city near Butler’s residence. Upon searching the residence, the police discovered a 9mm handgun in the basement, which was linked through ballistics testing to the shell casings and bullet recovered from Johnson’s body.
During questioning, Gadsby revealed that the Ford Escape belonged to Butler’s mother, who confirmed that Butler had the vehicle on the day of the shooting. The detective also clarified that the interaction between Butler and Johnson at the staffing agency was brief, with no physical altercation or apparent disagreement reported by employees.
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Under questioning, the detective mentioned that Butler and Johnson had a prior incident, although details were not provided during the hearing. However, Johnson was previously charged with shooting Butler in September 2015. The initial charges against Johnson were dropped after Butler testified that he didn’t know who shot him, and a witness who initially identified Johnson as the shooter retracted her statement. However, the charges were refiled shortly after based on the witness’s 911 call and recorded statement to the police.
Johnson pleaded guilty in January 2017 to charges of
