Written byJennifer Shutt
SNOW HILL -- A case that began in November 2007 with the disappearance of 26-year-old mother of three Christine Marie Sheddy has ended with a jury finding Justin Michael Hadel guilty of first-degree murder.
The jury of six men and six women began deliberating about 10:30 a.m. with sparring arguments from the defense and prosecution fresh in their minds. It took them just over three hours to unanimously decide Hadel not only killed Sheddy but premeditated the murder.
"Since she went missing, I have been working this case every day," said Sheddy's mother, Lynn Dodenhoff, during a news conference. "This closes a chapter; we buried her and that was one thing, but today someone was held responsible."
Worcester State's Attorney Beau Oglesby said he and his office are "exploring charging additional people" in the death of Sheddy, and he could not say if there would be more than one person who may face future prosecution.
The jurors who decided Hadel's fate arrived at their decision within hours of hearing Oglesby and defense council Arch McFadden debate in their closing statements.
McFadden told jurors Johnson lied to police in 2007 when asked about Sheddy's disappearance. She told police she had dropped off her boyfriend, Clarence Jackson, at a friend's house; in her testimony this week, she said Jackson had been at the farmhouse with Hadel all day.
During her testimony Tuesday, Johnson said when she returned to the farmhouse Nov. 13, 2007, she found only Sheddy's two children. Two hours later, she testified, Hadel and Jackson emerged from the night to tell her Sheddy had "taken off." Within a few days, she testified, Hadel changed his story, telling her he'd killed Sheddy.
"The only way Tia Johnson can get out of this and get (Jackson) out of this is to say (Hadel) confessed with no one else around," McFadden said. In earlier testimony, Johnson said Hadel told her on two separate occasions he had killed Sheddy. "Tia lied on Nov. 27, 2007; she lied to police on Feb. 23, 2010; and she lied to you yesterday on that stand."
Oglesby reminded jurors Johnson only testified because she was compelled by a court order to do so.
"Tia Johnson loves (Jackson), yes, but Justin Hadel is family," said Oglesby, offering a reason Johnson was reluctant to testify in the first place.
McFadden showed the jury a photograph of the gravesite where police found Sheddy in February 2010. On a nearby piece of wood, "Jr." -- Clarence Jackson's nickname -- was carved.
"There is not a single piece of evidence that justifies the statement Mr. McFadden said that Clarence Jackson killed Christine Sheddy," Oglesby countered. "There is no physical evidence that links anyone with the death of Christine Sheddy but the defendant."
The State's Attorney's Office previously filed a motion to seek life without the possibility of parole. Circuit Court Judge Thomas Groton has ordered a presentence investigation to gather additional information about Hadel's criminal history before imposing a sentence.
Source; http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110616/NEWS01/106160381/Murder-verdict-brings-justice-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|frontpage
10 comments:
I doubt if she loves Jr so much otherwise she wouldn't be running around with that guy who looks like some damm circus clown with all those tats.
She just pretends to love jr and jr is pretending to love her so neither tells on each other.
she calls the tattoo circus clown "my king"
It's obvious that Tia Johnson threw her cousin Justin under the bus to save Jr and herself. What a sleez!
Her testimony in Justin's trial was nothing but lie after lie. Her history with statements made to police are filled with lies. Tia's refusal to testify was for self preservation and fear of self incimination.
One thing obvious from Tia's testimony is that Justin was afraid to talk about what happened to Christine when Jr was present. What was he afraid of?
Justin Hadel holds partial responsibility for Christine Sheddy's murder it's now time to hold the rest of the gang responsible. Joel Todd made a deal with the devil (Jr) to get Justin but that deal is no longer good because the devil violated the agreement. Now Oglesby can put the devil and his side kick Tia where they belong.
Only partial justice has been served for Christine Sheddy. Jr, Tia, and Justin are equally responsible! Christine's case is far from being solved and the truth has yet to be told.
1:10 I think Tia 'forgot' to tell parts of the story Justin told her in court. I think what Justin was trying and eventually did tell Tia was not only his involvement in this but also Jackson's. I think that's why Justin was afraid. I also think Tia told Jr and that's maybe why Justin moved far away.
I also think Tia knew the girl was dead from the beginning but maybe not how until Justin told her. Since I do feel she knew I also feel she was involved in covering all this up and making up a story about all of this.
I read this and it's seems strange to me, that Johnson would turn on her young cousin. It makes me wonder if there are any secrets, totally unrelated to the Sheddy murder, that they are hiding?
Any other unsolved murder maybe?
Testimony given by Mr. Handy during Hadel's trial revealed a crime scheme about "Butch" (Jackson) and Hadel robbing the Duck In while Jackson was working there. Subsequently there was a robbery and speculation was rampid about Jackson's involvement.
Tia Johnson and Jackson have comitted crimes since the murder of Christine Sheddy. Proof enough to say that they both are habitual criminals.
Tia claims innocence of knowledge about the moving of Sheddy from the Byrd Road Farm to the Bed & Breakfast in Snow Hill where they burried her. Tia is full of it. She knew from the very beginning that Christine was dead and her insistance that she was not present that day on the farm is a lie.
Jackson now sits in ECI for robbery and his newest crime - CHILD ABUSE! This person needs to be put away for a very long time.
Tia is awaiting trial for her theft scheme at Walmart which also includes involvement of an ex-sister-in-law.
Does anyone see a pattern here?
What I've heard of Tia's ways she would be the one to 'take over' any cover up of this because she thinks she's smarter than them and she would go completely ballistic on Jr and Justin for getting them all into this so they would be scared to tell her maybe. In the trial it was bought up how Jr and Justin moved out of state together after this. Maybe it was to get away from her all over them about this? I hope we will one day find out the truth.
I do see a pattern 2:26. It must be Johnson's own criminal ways that have made her imunune to what normal people would feel having knowledge of a murder. Love or no love, family or not, no normal person would be able to function knowing what she did and not report it. I read somewhere else that others may be arrested for this murder and I do hope one of them is Johnson. She really needs to be spending the rest of her life behind bars also. To me by her silence she has proved she herself is capable of anything, she has no conscience.
5:20 is right. Tia has gone to gret lengths to cover up Sheddy's murder and has appeared since then as if nothing ever happened. NORMAL people could not do that.
In her testimony given in Hadel's trial she said that she did this because she "was trying to protect all of us". That in itself says that she was protecting herself. I don't think that she is as concerned about protecting her lover or cousin she is about protecting herself.
All 3 of them belong behind bars for the rest of their life so that there isn't a repeat crime like Christine's. Tia and Jr will find someone else to play the role of Justin and do it again.
1:01 Do you think Johnson was telling lie after lie or do you think it was more like she was conviently forgetting, omitting and being vague on certain details?
To me, it seemed like she was only telling what she believes is already known while keeping mum on alot of pertinent facts of the case.
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