Horace Johnson sentenced to 30 years for murder
Johnson was convicted of second-degree murder in December.
Published Feb. 2, 2010
Horace Johnson was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of his 2-year-old son, Cortez Johnson, on Monday.
Horace Johnson was found guilty of the second-degree murder of his son in December. Cortez Johnson's mother, Keyonda Lumpkins, was sentenced to 24 years for the same charge in October.
Prosecuting Attorney Dan Knight asked for a life sentence.
Boone County Circuit Judge Kevin Crane, who presided over Horace Johnson's trial, gave the sentence. Horace Johnson shook his head and walked away as the sentence was read.
According to a Columbia Police Department news release, Cortez Johnson's body, covered in burns, cuts and bruises, was brought to University Hospital in June 2008. Medical personnel testified in the trial the injuries ranged from days to months old and cause of death was determined to be blunt force injury to the head.
"This child suffered, there's no doubt about it," Public Defender Stephen Wyse said at Horace Johnson's sentencing. "But the person who caused the suffering was the mother."
Wyse asked the court to consider Lumpkins to be far more culpable for Cortez Johnson's death.
Knight cited Cortez Johson's visible injuries and his constant proximity to Horace Johnson as evidence of his guilt.
"This man must be held fully accountable for his actions," Knight said. "The sheer brutality of this case is off the charts. There is no defense at all. There is no excuse."
At the trial, the jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning their verdict. Horace Johnson pleaded not guilty.
Wyse argued there was no evidence of Horace Johnson causing the blunt force injuries to Cortez Johnson's head that caused his death.
In a recorded statement during the trial, Horace Johnson told police when he was arrested that he had not known Lumpkins was beating Cortez. Horace Johnson later said in his statement he had been unable to stop the abuse because he was bedridden with a gunshot to the leg.
The jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, rather than the lesser charges of involuntary manslaughter or child endangerment.
