Testimony begins as Day 1 of 2022 Savannah murder trial gets underway

by Stephanie Adkisson

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - WTOC is exclusively following a murder trial involving a deadly shooting from 2022. Mikell Sanders is the man police say is responsible for the death of Mykel Price, a father of two.

First Testimonies in Court

On Tuesday, the trial entered a critical phase as the court heard testimonies from witnesses present on the day of the shooting. This was the first day of witness testimony in the case.

The trial began when the state offered Sanders a plea deal.

According to Judge Benjamin W. Karpf, the prosecution proposed a voluntary manslaughter charge, which would carry a maximum 20-year sentence, with the possibility of parole.

“You understand the state’s made an offer for voluntary manslaughter, which carries a possible maximum 20-year sentence, but they would agree to a 20-year sentence with 10 to serve, followed by 10 years on probation. Do you understand that?” Judge Karpf asked Sanders during the proceeding.

Sanders declined the plea deal and chose to proceed to trial.

First Witness Takes the Stand

The state called Xavier Johnson as its first witness. Johnson was also shot during the incident that killed Price, but survived his injuries.

Johnson testified that multiple people aggressively drove up to the house where he and Price were located. Gunfire erupted shortly after the 2 vehicle’s arrival, leaving both men with gunshot wounds.

“By the time I made it past the front door, there were already eight people outside of the house surrounding us,” Johnson told the courtroom.

However, Johnson struggled to answer some questions consistently during cross-examination. The defense had to show him previous interviews to clarify his statements.

He was testifying directly facing the defendant, and the entire courtroom, about who he belives shot his close friend and himself.

Co-Defendants Accept Plea Deals

Two co-defendants in the case, Malik and Marquis Grant, previously accepted plea deals for probation and are expected to testify during this week’s trial proceedings.

A notable incident occurred when the brothers were caught watching the live stream of the trial from inside the courtroom—a violation of court rules. Judge Karpf made his position clear on this matter:

“I just want to make it very clear that I’m ordering you not to watch the live stream of the trial,” the judge stated.