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Tulsa man given life term without parole in slaying
By LAURIE CASADAY
Published: 6/21/1991
Last More…Modified: 2/27/2007 8:27 AM
A 20-year-old Tulsa man has been sentenced to life imprisonment
without parole for the murder of David Ronald Littlejohn,
39, who was shot hours after the two men had argued.
Cavroll Hickmon Jr. showed little emotion Thursday as the
guilty verdict was read in Tulsa District Judge B.R. Beasley's
court. Hickmon's mother sobbed that her son "didn't do
it."
Members of Littlejohn's family cheered when they heard the
sentence.
"Justice was done," said Littlejohn's brother, Jerry,
34.
David Littlejohn was shot July 20 in a car in front of his
parents' house, 2021 N. St. Louis Ave., as he was leaving
for a date. Prosecutors said he tried to hide from Hickmon
in the car and was shot in the back. Littlejohn died five
days later.
Hickmon testified that he did not shoot Littlejohn. He said
Charles Johnson, who is charged in another murder, shot
Littlejohn.
At Hickmon's preliminary hearing, Johnson said Hickmon had
confessed to the shooting. Johnson did not testify at Hickmon's
trial.
Littlejohn and a friend, Essic Lee, were driving from a
convenience store on the evening of July 20 when they encountered
Hickmon and two teen-agers standing beside the road, Lee
testified. He said Littlejohn and Hickmon argued for a short
time.
Lee said he and Littlejohn then drove to Littlejohn's parents'
house. While there, Lee testified, a man in a pickup truck
drove by and shouted, "Tell home boy I'm gonna shoot him!"
Lee said he did not see the man but believed he was Hickmon.
Sabrina Moreland, a friend of Hickmon's, said he came by
her house the night of the shooting. She testified that
he told her, "I'm gonna shoot someone." About 10 to 15
minutes later, Moreland heard a gunshot, she said.
Littlejohn's brother, Ronnie, testified that he and Littlejohn
were watching television with their mother when Littlejohn
left for a date. Moments later, Ronnie Littlejohn said,
he heard a shot and found his brother lying in the doorway.
At a hospital, Littlejohn identified the man who had shot
him as "the same man who I got in an argument (with) earlier,"
said Tulsa police officer Chris Elliott.
Hickmon testified that he argued with Littlejohn that evening,
but "I never saw him again." Hickmon said he was watching
videos at a friend's house when Johnson said he was going
to a store. When Johnson returned, he said that he "did
it," Hickmon testified. He said he did not know what Johnson
meant by the comment.
A couple of days later, Johnson told him he had shot Littlejohn,
Hickmon said. He said he did not do anything when Johnson
allegedly confessed because "I didn't want to be involved." |
