In the autumn of 2012, the life of Terry Wayne Johnson Jr., a 19-year-old African American male, was cut tragically short in a fatal shooting in Memphis, Tennessee. The incident unfolded on the evening of November 14, 2012, at the Greenbriar Apartments, where a dispute escalated to deadly violence. Johnson was shot five times and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man responsible for his death was identified as Darryl Claxton.
The motive behind the shooting was a calculated act of retaliation. Johnson was slated to be a key witness and testify against Nico Farmer, an alleged fellow gang member, in connection with a fatal robbery that occurred in 2011. Johnson himself was a co-defendant in that case but had been released on bond after agreeing to cooperate with investigators. His murder was orchestrated to silence his testimony.
On the night of the shooting, a security guard witnessed Claxton firing at Johnson. As Claxton attempted to flee the scene, the security guard gave chase and successfully apprehended him, turning him over to the Memphis police. Claxton was subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Darryl Claxton, also known as 'Peewee,' stood trial for the murder of Terry Wayne Johnson Jr. Despite the defense's argument that there was no physical evidence linking Claxton to the crime, the eyewitness testimony of the security guard proved to be a crucial element for the prosecution. In March 2015, a jury found Darryl Claxton guilty of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Even without Johnson's testimony, his associate Nico Farmer was also eventually convicted of first-degree murder in the 2011 robbery case.
