Tonight’s Reasonable Doubt on Investigation Discovery looks into whether David Johnson, who was convicted of murdering a man at a New Year’s Eve party in 2008 in Wright City, Missouri, is actually innocent.
The episode, named Guilt by Association, captures Johnson’s family members insisting the convict was only a naïve teenager who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Johnson is said to have gone to the party with his brother Matthew and a third individual, a man named Matthew Marshall.
A friend had apparently called them saying she didn’t like the way she was being treated at the party, which was attended by more than 30 people.
All the party attendees were friends with the victim — but none of them said Johnson participated in the murder, according to reports. One witness even said Johnson wasn’t in the house when the killing occurred.
Marshall, on the other hand, allegedly accused Johnson of taking part in the killing and agreed to help prosecutors in their case against Johnson, allegedly so that Marshall could get his sentence reduced.
Marshall and Johnson’s brother reportedly showed up to the party with bats and knives. They stabbed two men; Fernando A. Melgar died and Raymond Post was seriously injured.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelJohnson’s brother got 103 years for the killing but, after striking a plea deal, was ordered to spend just 24 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.
Marshall is serving 18 years, while Johnson was sentenced to 25 years in 2016 after being found guilty of five felonies.
Reasonable Doubt airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.
He deserves a lesser sentence