On the cold morning of January 13, 2017, 34-year-old Julii Johnson was preparing to leave for work from her boyfriend's condominium in Warren, Michigan. A Black female and a hardworking mother to a teenage daughter, her life was abruptly cut short in a burst of violence. Her boyfriend, Jim Lattner, made a frantic 911 call after hearing gunshots and finding Johnson outside by her car, bleeding from multiple wounds.
She had been shot seven times in her torso and head and later died from her injuries at a hospital.
Initially, the investigation scrutinized Lattner, who had a criminal past, but detectives soon turned their attention elsewhere. The case that unfolded was not a random act of violence but a meticulously planned murder-for-hire plot born from jealousy. The investigation led police to three individuals: Marcie Griffin, 46, George Rider, 58, and Eric Gibson, 24. Griffin was the ex-girlfriend of Julii's boyfriend, Jim Lattner, and the mother of his two children. Prosecutors argued that Griffin, consumed by jealousy and hatred for Johnson, was the mastermind behind the killing.
The evidence pieced together by investigators told a chilling story. They alleged Griffin enlisted the help of George Rider, who then hired Eric Gibson to be the triggerman. A critical break in the case came from a work glove found on a path near the crime scene. DNA on the glove, as well as on the 9mm handgun discovered nearby, was a match to Eric Gibson. Surveillance footage from a local gym showed a vehicle, believed to be Rider's, parking nearby before the shooting. A figure, identified as Gibson, was seen exiting the vehicle, walking toward the condominium, and returning a short time later. Furthermore, cell phone records placed Rider in the vicinity of the murder, and text messages exchanged between him and Griffin appeared to allude to the deadly plan.
In February 2017, all three were arrested and charged with first-degree murder, with Gibson facing an additional weapons charge. Their trial took place in Macomb County Circuit Court. In June 2019, a jury found Marcie Griffin, George Rider, and Eric Gibson guilty of first-degree murder. Gibson was also convicted on the firearm charge. The following month, all three were sentenced to mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. Rider later appealed his conviction based on what he argued was an illegal seizure of his cell phone, but the conviction was ultimately upheld.
