BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Jury deliberations are underway in the Jonathan Knight trial. Knight — the man charged with the deadly shooting of Guyton on February 23, 2017 — is facing first-degree murder and life in prison if he is convicted.
- Prosecutor Eric Smith’s closing arguments reiterated the evidence that connected both Jeremy King and Knight to the shooting and their motive.
- Defense Attorney Tim Hennessy sought to undermine the prosecution's case by highlighting holes and circumstantial evidence.
“They’re hunting a human being,” said Prosecutor Eric Smith during his closing arguments in the trial of Jonathan Knight.
The investigation into the shooting death of 5-year-old Kason Guyton began with surveillance footage capturing a drive-by shooting at the intersection of S Street and California Avenue. That footage sparked a years-long inquiry into the case that would lead investigators to two rival gangs in Bakersfield .
Jury deliberations are underway in the Knight trial. Knight — the man charged with the deadly shooting of Guyton on February 23, 2017 — is facing first-degree murder and life in prison if he is convicted.
During closing arguments, Smith detailed the events surrounding the night Kason was shot. Surveillance video from a mortuary captured the moment shots were fired from one vehicle at the other. Smith has argued that suspect vehicle was driven by Jeremy King and Knight was the shooter. He alleged Knight was aiming for a documented East Side Crips member.
"The only answer to that is gang," Smith stated. “All of the investigation led to two people: Jeremy King and Jonathan Knight,” Smith said.
King and Knight, according to investigators, were active members of the West Side Crips, the main rivals of the East Side Crips. Smith argued that the shooting stemmed from an altercation the Valley Plaza mall earlier that evening. Smith stating the Knight was angry and looking to retaliate, which is what led them to S Street, where Tony Haynes — another documented East Side Crips member — often stayed with his girlfriend and her kids.
Along with the video, police interviewed Guyton’s brother, B.J., the night of the shooting.
B.J. told investigators when the shots were fired, he looked back and saw a “lady” with “long hair” shooting out the window of a truck towards them.
The video and B.J.’s description eventually pointed investigators in the gang unit to King, who drove a Dodge Charger, and his cousin Knight, who had long hair. Even though investigators eventually concluded the suspect vehicle was a Chrysler 200, they were still able to connect the two men to the vehicle and allegedly the shooting.
“Knights DNA is on the passenger side,” Smith said. “Jeremy King’s is on the driver.’s side”
Smith’s closing arguments reiterated the evidence that connected both King and Knight to the shooting and their motive. Smith highlighted the history of gang involvement and the documented history of rivalry between the West Side Crips and East Side Crips.
However, Defense Attorney Tim Hennessy sought to undermine the prosecution's case by highlighting holes and circumstantial evidence.
Hennessy argued that the prosecution failed to meet its burden of proof and suggested that the strongest testimony in the trial that connected Knight to the shooting was from King himself, who accepted a plea deal in exchange for testifying.
“Bringing mr. King in here and having him testified, that’s just gross,” Hennessy said. “That’s not justice.”
Hennessy argued that after Knight was released from prison for a previous shooting, he was no longer active in the West Side Crips. He said on the night of the shooting, while Knight may have been at the mall when the altercation happened, he tried to distance himself from it.
“Look at his arm, he’s pointing back trying to get the others to go,” Hennessy said.
In fact, Hennessy argued that it was King who was agitated after the altercation and seeking revenge.
Hennessy pointed to evidence showing King swapping his vehicle for the one used in the shooting and video showing him getting rid of the gun. During his testimony, King confirmed the gun was his but said it was in Knight’s possession that night.
The defense also argued that King had a history of lying, pointing to lies he told women he was dating.
“Mr. King wants out of jail,” Hennessy said. “King knows all of this, he’s read the reports, and he sat and lied at the grand jury.”
Hennessy also argued that the testimony and reports given by B.J. were unreliable as he was 7-year-old at the time of the shooting. He pointed to the video of the shooting, showing how a dark colored car shoots off the victim vehicle from behind as the vehicle is turning onto California. As the car carrying Guyton speeds up, a truck drives by it.
The truck's not shooting,” Hennessy said. “What if he’s talking about this because now they’re stopped and the truck is next to them and he looks out and a woman is pointing at them because there was a shooting and now they’re tires flat.”
During his rebuttal, Smith reiterated that they used Knight’s own word in regards to what took place that night as well as his involvement in gang activity. In regards to B.J.’s statements, Smith said the child was brave to speak to police and testify in court.
“To say Brian Guyton didn’t see what he saw, I won’t go into my feelings on that,” Smith said.
The jury will continue deliberations Thursday morning.
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