WEST UNION, Ohio — A husband and wife charged in connection to a deadly triple shooting in Adams County last week returned to court on April 8 for their preliminary hearing.
David Johnson, 47, is charged with two counts of murder. His wife Tabitha Johnson, 36, is charged with tampering with evidence and obstructing justice, accused of being an accessory to the crimes.
Tabitha waived the preliminary hearing and was released from jail on bond. She must wear an ankle monitor and can have no contact with her husband or the victims' families.
The two faced a judge for the first time on Tuesday, April 2. The couple was escorted from the Adams County Jail together and into Judge Roy Gabbert Jr.'s courtroom for their arraignment. The two were sat in separate spots to keep them from making eye contact during the hearing.
The Johnsons were initially arrested and booked into the Clinton County Jail early Friday after law enforcement there pulled over the SUV they were driving in. Body-worn camera and dash camera video obtained by WCPO shows the moments leading up to and after that stop.
A Wilmington Police Officer assisted at around 10 p.m. Thursday after a Clinton County deputy spotted a car that matched a suspect vehicle description shared by Adams County investigators hours earlier. Law enforcement also had a description of David Johnson, though not of Tabitha.
Video shows the officer and deputy's surprise at seeing her behind the wheel.
"Looks like a female driver," the Wilmington police officer said. "That's what it looks like."
Dashcam video later shows deputies walking David Johnson handcuffed into the back of a cruiser while the police officer speaks with Tabitha.
"Your vehicle matches the description of a vehicle that has a double homicide suspect out of Adams County. So that's why we're stopping you," he tells her.
"Oh. What in the world?" she responds.
"Yeah, so you're OK. You're not in any trouble or anything. Where'd you pick him up at?" the officer asks Tabitha, gesturing to David.
"That's my husband," she tells him.
Hours earlier, after 4 p.m. Thursday in Manchester, Tabitha is accused of helping David flee from a home where he had allegedly shot three people.
The Ohio BCI's Crime Scene Unit and Specials Investigations Unit found 37-year-old Jimmy Shoemaker and 28-year-old Sharon Mozingo dead inside the home. A third person survived and was airlifted to UC Medical Center with serious injuries.
"He was a funny guy," said Meghann Fast, a co-worker of Shoemaker's. "I mean, always had a story to tell, you know, if you needed something, he'd give you the shirt off his back."
Shoemaker's funeral was held Tuesday, at the same time of the Johnsons' arraignment. The father leaves behind two children.
Mozingo was a mother of four. The father of three of her young children, Billy Potts, joined other family members in court, sitting just feet behind the people charged in connection to Mozingo's death.
Potts described her as a wonderful person who, like Shoemaker, would give someone the shirt of her back.
"We are very upset. It's traumatizing," he said. "She didn't deserve this."
It was revealed in court that David was on parole on an unrelated charge at the time of the shootings and cannot be released from jail pending trial for this case. Judge Gabbert Jr. still gave him a bond anyway.
David is being held on a $2 million cash bond. His charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty.
Tabitha's charges are 3rd-degree felonies and each carries a maximum of five years in prison. Now, her case will go to a grand jury.
Adams County Prosecutor Aaron Haslam told WCPO more charges could be filed once the cases are presented to a grand jury. Currently, none of the couple's charges reflect any crimes committed against the surviving victim.
