A Minnesota man who killed his girlfriend after she accused him of cheating and later denied ever dating her may spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Johnny Leroy Brown, 52, was sentenced to life in prison for the 2023 shooting death of Kesha Moore, 43. Brown was accused of multiple counts of murder after Moore, his girlfriend at the time, was shot and killed in their apartment in Minneapolis. Authorities tracked Brown down the following day, finding him in a car with his new girlfriend. During his arrest, Brown reportedly called his new girlfriend and denied ever having been in a relationship with Moore.
In February, Brown was convicted of first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of abuse, as well as second-degree unintentional murder while committing a felony, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
Brown maintained his innocence, claiming that Moore had pulled a gun on him and was shot when he “accidentally bumped the trigger.” He insisted that he was the victim in the situation, stating, “You all don’t know what happened that Sunday. I do. And I know she pulled a gun on me. And I tried to retreat. And I tried to get away from that.”
He also objected to the trial, asserting that he was discriminated against because the prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge were all women. Numerous women who had survived Brown’s past domestic abuse participated in the trial, with some traveling significant distances to testify.
Moore’s sister, Kena Johnson, expressed relief at the sentencing, saying that Moore’s “soul can rest now knowing that he can never hurt another woman again.”
According to the probable cause affidavit, Brown admitted to police upon his arrest that he and Moore had been dating for about two years and had been living together for several months. On the day of the incident, an argument ensued when Moore accused Brown of cheating. Brown claimed that Moore shoved her finger in his face during the argument.
Brown stated that after the confrontation, he went to make himself a drink, and Moore pulled out a 9 mm handgun registered to her, pointing it at him. He said he tried to wrestle the gun away from Moore, but in the struggle, he accidentally hit the trigger, causing the fatal shot.
Investigators, however, doubted his version of events. Moore’s weapon, a Luger EC9s, has a trigger that requires more than five pounds of pull, making Brown’s claim of an accidental discharge questionable. Additionally, Brown claimed that he did not touch Moore’s body after she was shot, but investigators found large smears of blood surrounding her, contradicting his statement.
With his sentencing, Brown is set to spend at least the next 30 years in prison before being eligible for parole. His conviction and the testimony of past survivors ensured that justice was served for Moore and that Brown would no longer be a threat to others.
