Murder trial tops second week of jury docket

The second week of the Comanche County felony jury trial docket includes a trial for allegations of a man killed his roommate during a January 2023 argument.

Jurors will reports Monday morning to the Comanche County Courthouse to determine verdicts in the second of four weeks of trials. All trials are subject to continuances or plea agreements.

On Monday, jury selection will begin for the trial of Johnny Clifton Taylor, 62, of Lawton, in Comanche County Presiding District Judge Emmit Tayloe’s court for felony charges of first-degree murder — deliberate intent, and possession of a firearm after former felony conviction, records indicate. The murder charge is punishable by life in prison or life without parole.

Taylor admitted to police to shooting Joe E. Sawyer Jr. in the left chest, killing him the afternoon of Jan. 25, 2023, in the living room at 1102 NW Birch. Taylor said he’d become tired of Sawyer and a woman arguing and being loud in the living room, the probable cause affidavit states. He said Sawyer became aggressive when confronted and struck him several times atop the head with brass knuckles.

Taylor told police he retrieved his Luger semi-automatic pistol from its lock box in his room before returning to the living room where he fired “several shots in the floor of the living room,” the affidavit states. When Sawyer came toward him, Taylor said he shot him in the chest.

During voir dire for Taylor’s jury trial on Aug. 12, Comanche County Presiding District Judge Emmit Tayloe read the firearms charge to the jury and the defense requested a mistrial, which was granted.

Records indicate Taylor has a June 1994 conviction in the 173rd District Court of Texas for aggravated assault causing great bodily injury.

Taylor remains jailed on $500,000 bond.