The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AFTER hearing what sounded like gunshots and a woman scream on the evening of September 12, 2015, a tenant who had occupied a unit in Barry and Sheena Johnson’s triplex sat in her apartment and did not call police until the next morning.

Gail Zamor told the Supreme Court she did not want to get involved and so she listened to her “spirit” and sat at her computer and continued surfing the internet.

The woman, who resided at the couple’s triplex since June 2014, said just before hearing gunshots she heard loud voices and talking outside between 9pm and10 pm on the evening in question.

She then heard what sounded like two gunshots or firecrackers, a woman scream, and then a third shot. The witness had also heard a vehicle leaving the area quickly.

Three men, Paul Belizaire, Devaughn Hall, and Kevin Dames, are on trial for the double murder and armed robbery.

The couple was found shot dead at their triplex apartment in Deadman’s Reef on the morning of September 13, 2015. Both had a gunshot wound to the head.

Two others also charged in the matter – Virgil Hall and Allan Alcime – accepted a plea agreement wit h the AG’s Office and has turned witnesses for the Crown. Both have been convicted of armed robbery and are serving prison time.

Zamor gave evidence on Thursday about hearing gunshots and a woman scream. Although she lived in a “very quiet” neighbourhood and thought it was unusual, she did nothing.

“I was sitting at my computer surfing on the internet,” she said. “I started to get up to see what was going on, but my spirit said ‘no, sit down,’ and I continued to surf the net.”

Bodies

The next morning around 8am on September 13 while putting out the trash, she discovered the bodies of her landlords, Barry and Sheena Johnson.

She saw a man lying on the ground in an orange jumpsuit, and went back to her apartment to get her glasses for a better look.

“I got closer and saw it was Barry,” she said. The woman noticed the couple’s front door was cracked open and looked inside and saw Sheena lying on the floor.

Before calling the police, she told the court she continued to take her garbage to the trash can.

Ms Zamor said while taking out the trash, she noticed Mr Johnson’s Silverado truck was not there.

In his cross-examination, defence counsel Geoffrey Farquharson asked Zamor if she could recall what day of the week was on September 12, 2015. She replied it was a Saturday and she had gone to church earlier in the afternoon.

“Are you a Seventh-Day Adventist?” he asked. Ms Zamor said she is a Hebrew-Israelite.

Mr Farquharson asked the witness if the neighbourhood where she lived is quiet, and she answered it was “very quiet” because the triplex was almost a mile off the main road of Queen’s Highway.

He asked if she knew the Johnsons had several surveillance cameras installed at their unit, and if she felt she should get a camera too.

Zamor said while she was aware the couple had cameras installed at their unit, she did not see the need to have any installed at her unit before or even after the murders.

Voices

According to Zamor, when she heard loud voices on the evening of September 12, she thought the Johnsons were having a party or coming from a party. She noted the couple has parties “once in a while” at their residence.

“After you heard gunshots or what sounded like a firecracker, and after you heard a woman scream, you thought it was a party?” asked Mr Farquharson. “No, not at that point,” she replied.

“Why after you heard gunshots, you did not call the police?” asked counsel.

“My spirit told me to sit down – I didn’t move. I mind my own business,” she replied.

“I put it to you that you did this?” suggested Farquharson. “No,” she replied.

Ms Zamor explained she thought the gunshots were firecrackers. “I just sat in my seat as the spirit told me,” she said.

Farquharson asked the witness if she knew her neighbours Barry and Sheena had a lot of money, or that he had some businesses. “Did you poke your nose to find out why?” he asked.

Zamor said it was not her business, and described the young couple as quiet, hard-working people. “They were young people who had their heads on their shoulders and worked hard,” she said.

“Did you know he was a supervisor at the container port? Where did he get the money (to do that)?” counsel asked.

“I put it to you that you knew Mr Johnson had a reputation of a drug dealer?” Mr Farquharson suggested.

Zamor denied the assertion and said Mr Johnson was more like a “preacher man.”

“You sit in your apartment and let those two people bleed to death?” “Yes, sir, I could have been next,” she replied.

“If an ambulance had come, they would have had a chance,” he suggested. “Would you say that you are a cold-hearted woman,” asked counsel. “No, not all. I am a woman who was minding my business.”

Mr Farquharson then suggested to Zamor that she deliberately waited 12 hours before she made any report to the police. She denied doing that.

“When you saw Mr Johnson lying on the ground, and you went back in the house to get your glasses, you did not scream, and you were not scared?” he asked.

Ms Zamor said she was not afraid because she once worked at a funeral home from the age 12 to 15 years and had seen dead bodies before.

She said she tried calling 911 and 919 but could not get through on her phone, so she called her brother who contacted the police.

The trial resumes today.