Day 2 of Jury Trial in double homicide off Truman Pkwy in 2023; Step-son testifies

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The stepson of Derek Johnson, the man accused of killing two people along Truman Parkway in 2023, took the stand Friday in the second day of Johnson’s double murder trial in Chatham County.

The witness, Kewan Crawford, was the boyfriend of 19-year-old Shaliyah Collins — one of the two homicide victims in the case.

Prosecutors say Collins’ body was thrown from an overpass into the marsh below that night, at the hands of his father.

Testimony covers relationship, final days before death

Crawford told jurors that Collins had moved in with him just three weeks before she was killed. The two had obtained a marriage license in September of 2023.

He said their relationship was going well until the night before her murder, when the two got into an argument over religion. Collins was super religious, and he said he was working on his faith journey of getting to the same point.

When Collins did not come home after her shift at work the next night, Crawford said he assumed she was done with the relationship. He said he reached out to her friends and called her workplace in an attempt to find her.

Prosecutors called that testimony significant. They said during the trial that records show Crawford had a Wi-Fi-only phone connected to his home network the night Collins was killed, placing him at their shared home during her death.

He recalled hearing the news when deputies came to his door.

“I honestly wanted to get a knife and kill myself. I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked and in denial. I was really in denial,” Crawford said.

Investigators testify; judge rules on arrest video

Two investigators also testified on Friday. They told jurors that in the days following the double homicide, they located Johnson moving trash bags of belongings from his backseat into his trunk.

A woman and 2 young men were seen along with Johnson, assisting.

It’s unclear exactly what he was doing or what was in those bags.

Units followed Johnson’s vehicle and conducted a traffic stop, but Johnson refused to exit the car. He eventually was pulled out of the car and arrested for obstruction.

He was found in Florida several days after Phillip Mock and Shaliyah Collins were killed and arrested on both murder warrants.

The judge also ruled Friday against allowing video of Johnson sleeping in the back of a patrol car immediately after his arrest in Florida on those warrants.

Prosecutors argued the video showed his state of mind following the arrest, arguing ‘Who falls asleep after being arrested on a double homicide?’

Defense attorneys argued it was prejudicial with no real relevance. The judge sided with the defense, and it will not be shown to jurors.

The trial is set to resume Monday morning and is expected to last through the week.