FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS ADVISORY
August 7, 2017
Steve Marshall
For More Information, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 1
AG MARSHALL ANNOUNCES COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS UPHOLDS
LAUDERDALE COUNTY MURDER CONVICTION
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the Alabama Court of
Criminal Appeals on Friday upheld the murder conviction of Shannon Ray Johnson.
Johnson, 48, was convicted in Lauderdale County Circuit Court in January 2017 for the
murder of Keith Barnett, 22.
Evidence presented at trial stated that between 10:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. on July 29-30,
2000, Johnson was across the road from the Little Sands Club, near Iron City, Tennessee,
taking cocaine while his brother Shawn Johnson was at the club. Around 1:00 a.m., the
two brothers met in the parking lot to take cocaine. At that point, the victim, Keith
Barnett approached them and got into a verbal confrontation with Shawn Johnson. The
two brothers then proceeded to beat Barnett with their fists and a baseball bat until
Barnett was unconscious. The two then put Barnett into the cab of Shawn Johnson’s
truck and drove down Chisholm Highway toward Alabama. After they crossed into
Lauderdale County, they placed Barnett into the roadway of Alabama 17. Barnett was
later found in the road severely injured and was transported to a local hospital and
subsequently transferred to other medical facilities for treatment before he eventually
died from “multiple cranial cerebral trauma” on September 21.
The case was prosecuted at trial by Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris
Connolly’s office. Johnson was sentenced to life imprisonment and subsequently
sought to have his conviction reversed on appeal.
The Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Section handled the case during the appeals
process, arguing for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to affirm the conviction.
The Court did so in a decision issued on Friday, August 4.
Attorney General Marshall commended Assistant Attorney General P. David Bjurberg
of the Attorney General’s Criminal Appeals Section for his successful work in this case.
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501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.alabama.gov
