'She was like a sister.' Family testifies in pre-trial for accused killer of Delia Johnson
Johnson’s mother, visibly emotional, stepped out before the graphic video of her daughter’s murder was shown.
Pre-trial hearing is underway for the woman accused of killing 42-year-old Delia Johnson in August 2021.
Two of Johnson’s sisters took the stand, identifying Claudia Banton in video footage that captured Johnson’s murder. One of them, however, was unable to recognize her in the courtroom, due to her changed appearance.
They testified that Banton was once considered like a sister to their family, and had lived with them with her child at one point.
Banton, walked in the courtroom handcuffed and dressed in a gray suit with black glasses and short black hair.
She took notes during the hearing, and at the end, she smiled at her own family, whispering, “I love you,” before being led away. Banton’s family declined to comment.
Johnson’s mother, visibly emotional, stepped out before the graphic video of her daughter’s murder was shown.
“I’m trying to hold on. I miss her. I miss her,” she told News 12.
Jury selection is set for Tuesday, followed by opening statements later this week.
