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June 29, 2008

Murder trial jury selection begins today

By Cass Rains Staff Writer

Jury selection begins today for a man accused of first-degree murder and shooting with intent to kill during a 2005 attempted robbery in Blaine County.

Jessie Floyd Johns, 57, also faces charges of grand larceny and possession of a firearm after former felony conviction. Prose-cutors are seeking the death penalty.

A change of venue to Garfield County from Blaine County was granted for Johns, as well as Wendell Arden Gris-som, who was convicted by a jury in March and sentenced to death.

The incident occurred about 12:30 p.m. Nov. 3, 2005, about eight miles east and 21⁄2 miles north of Watonga.

Blaine County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a shooting at the home of Lauren Drue Kopf and found Amber Matthews, 23, of Kingfisher, dead. Kopf, then 23, had been shot three times.

Kopf escaped from the house in a white Chevrolet pickup, later identified as be-longing to Grissom. Kopf’s children, who were 11⁄2 years and 5 weeks old at the time, were in the home during the shootings but were not injured.

Following a short manhunt, both men were arrested just inside the western edge of Kingfisher County.

Johns was arrested at the Hill Stop, a cafe, convenience store and gas station in Omega, 12 miles east of where the shootings occurred. Grissom was arrested in a wooded area near Hill Stop.

Johns confessed he and Grissom had “scoped out” one other house as a possible site to commit a burglary, according to an affidavit filed with the charges, and Grissom decided to stop at Kopf’s home.

The men had escaped on a four-wheeler taken from a garage at Kopf’s home.

In addition to the death penalty, Johns faces a life sentence on the charges of shooting with intent to kill. Grand larceny has a possible penalty of up to five years in prison, and the firearms charge is punishable by one to 10 years.

District Judge Ronald Franklin will hear the case.

Undersheriff Jerry Niles said security during the trail will be increased. No handbags, backpacks, purses or briefcases will be allowed on the second floor of the Garfield County Court House.

Niles also said no food, newspapers or cell phones would be allowed, either.

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