Testimony Continues In Tulsa Double Murder Trial

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

TULSA, OK - The prosecution on Tuesday continued building its case in a Tulsa double murder trial.  Prosecutors called another slate of witnesses to testify against Raymond Johnson, including one of his former girlfriends.  That girlfriend says she dropped Johnson off near the victim's house the night before the fire.

When firefighters arrived at the home on that June morning in 2007, they found smoke pouring from Brooke Whitaker's home.  They found her seven-month-old baby girl, Kya, dead.  Whitaker died later at the hospital.

06/22/2009  Related Story: Testimony Begins In Raymond Johnson Trial

Prosecutors say Raymond Johnson set the fire after he beat Whitaker with a hammer.  And, it was one of his former girlfriend's that placed Johnson at the scene of the crime.

Jennifer Walton was pregnant with Johnson's baby in 2007.  She told the jury Johnson asked her to take him to Whitaker's home to get some clothes he left there, the night before the fire.

The 26-year-old says she dropped Johnson off not far from Whitaker's house and that he was supposed to meet her back at her mother's west Tulsa home.  She says he never came home that night.

Walton says Johnson called her the next morning, the day of the fire, and told her that a friend of his killed Brooke Whitaker.  She also says he asked her to come pick him up.

She told the jury when she did, Johnson's clothes were covered with blood, he smelled of gasoline, and was carrying two garbage bags.  Walton says when they passed by Whitaker's house, she saw the flames.

Walton also told the jury she made several stops with Johnson, including one by a dumpster where she believed he pitched his clothes.  Walton called her aunt and told her what was happening, but she never called police.

She didn't report what she knew about Brooke and Kya Whitaker's deaths, until detectives called her.  They found her phone number in Brooke Whitaker's cell phone.

The defense pointed out Walton had at least four opportunities to leave Johnson and go to the police, but didn't.  She told them she was scared out of her mind and wasn't thinking rationally, adding: "He could have killed me that day."

Raymond Johnson was living with a friend, just before he was arrested.  That friend told the jury before June of 2007, they had a good relationship and she felt comfortable leaving her kids with him.

Prosecutors are expected to finish up their case on Wednesday.