Jury finds 2 Rock Hill men not guilty in murder trial from I-77 fatal shooting
A York County jury has acquitted two Rock Hill men charged with murder in the case where a person was fatally shot on Interstate 77 in 2022, according to court records and lawyers.
The jury found Robert Daquan Johnson, 27, and Montrece Shajaun Kennedy, 29, not guilty on all charges after a five-day trial at the Moss Justice Center in York, S.C. The jury returned its verdict late last week
Sixteenth Circuit Senior Assistant Solicitor Chris Epting, who prosecuted the case with Deputy Solicitor John Anthony, confirmed Johnson and Kennedy had been acquitted.
The jury found both men not guilty of the charges of murder, attempted murder, and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Keith Feaster, 25, of Chester, died in February 2022 when he was shot. He was a passenger in a truck traveling southbound on I-77, according to officials.
Johnson and Kennedy were arrested by York County Sheriff’s deputies but denied involvement, according to their defense attorneys.
Defense lawyers praise jury verdict
Kennedy was represented at trial by Rock Hill lawyer Geoff Dunn.
“We’re very grateful to the jury,” Dunn said in a statement to The Herald after the verdict. “Mr. Kennedy is looking forward to being home with his family.”
Johnson was represented by B.J Barrowclough and Ryan Newkirk of the 16th Circuit Public Defender office. After the jury verdict, Barrowclough said he and Newkirk appreciated the jury’s attentiveness to the details of the case.
“We were very happy with the jury’s decision,” Barrowclough said in a statement to The Herald. “It was a long trial. There was a lot of evidence and testimony for the jury to sift through. But we felt like if they really paid attention to the details that they would see that some of the most significant evidence favored the defense. My co-counsel Ryan Newkirk and I both really appreciate their efforts.”
Johnson remained in the York County jail Monday, after the acquittal, pending unrelated legal matters, according to Barrowclough and court and jail records.
This story was originally published April 18, 2023 at 11:30 AM.
