Murder trial to begin for Morgan City man accused in 2013 shooting death

Opening statements were set to begin Tuesday morning in the second-degree murder trial of Justin Edward Patterson, 28, of Morgan City, who is accused in the May 2013 shooting death of Mikki Jay Dauntain, 23, in Morgan City.

The trial is taking place at the parish courthouse in Franklin. Assistant District Attorney Anthony Saleme is prosecuting the case, while Suzanne deMahy is Patterson’s attorney. The jury was selected Monday.

Patterson's sister, Jessicah Charisse Johnson, 24, was also indicted on a second-degree murder charge in Dauntain's death. Johnson was originally arrested on the charge of principle to second-degree murder.

Seven other people were also arrested on charges relating to the case, including Ashley Nicole Rudolph, Cassandra Garrett, Lyndsey Denise Guidry, Linda Susan Madise, Joseph Patrick Madise, Ashley Joseph Thomas and Etoyi Monray Jones. Rudolph entered a guilty plea in the case while the district attorney did not prosecute Jones.

According to a police affidavit, at 11:04 p.m. May 20, 2013, Morgan City police received a report that a man had been shot in the area of Federal Avenue and Garber Street.

Officers located several people along Federal Avenue, and found Dauntain lying in the roadway with a bullet wound to the head, the affidavit said. Dauntain was pronounced dead that night.

Officers spoke to Dauntain's girlfriend, Natasha Garner, who said she was on her way to work with Dauntain and Brandon Scott as passengers in the vehicle. Garner stated she was traveling south on Federal Avenue when a man flagged her down, the affidavit stated.

Four females then approached the vehicle and were trying to get Scott to exit the vehicle. When Scott didn't get out of the vehicle, the females appeared to be aggravated, the affidavit said.

Scott later told police that he had learned that a man he knew as “Bullet Chain” was trying to find him because “Bullet Chain” believed that Scott had robbed him in Patterson. Scott stated that “Bullet Chain” wanted to fight him and had him that “Bullet Chain” and Scott didn’t have to use guns, the affidavit said.

Local law enforcement knew that Patterson went by the nickname “Bullet Chain Grippa,” “Bullet Chain,” or “Grippa,” the affidavit said.

Garner stated that a woman, identified as Johnson, produced a stick and broke the rear passenger side window. Garner further said that Dauntain got out of the vehicle and tried to close the rear doors of the vehicle to prevent the females from entering the vehicle, the affidavit stated.

While Dauntain was outside of the vehicle, Garner stated that she witnessed Patterson come from behind a barbershop and move toward the vehicle. She said that the suspect had a bandana over the lower port of his face, but positively identified him as Patterson, because he was "well known to her," the affidavit stated.

Garner stated that Patterson then produced and fired a handgun, striking Dauntain in the back of the head, the affidavit said. Garner said Patterson then pointed the gun at her, and she fled on foot.

She then returned a short time later to check on Dauntain and found him in critical condition, the affidavit said.

Garner stated that she and Patterson had previous confrontations in the past. And on May 19, 2013, and May 20, 2013, Patterson had come to her home in an attempt to find Scott.

Scott stated that he was in the vehicle Garner was driving when she stopped in the area of Federal Avenue and Garber Street. Scott stated that the vehicle was surrounded by a large group of people who began to beat on the vehicle and try to get inside, the affidavit said.

Scott stated that he was attempting to defend himself from the people who were trying to attack him. Scott said someone smashed the rear passenger window, at which time Dauntain exited the vehicle, the affidavit said.

While defending himself, Scott saw a person wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with dreadlocks calmly approach Dauntain from behind, put a pistol a short distance from Dauntain's head and fire one shot into his head, the affidavit said.

After Patterson fired the shot, Scott stated that the crowd dispersed, and Scott fled the scene in Garner's vehicle, the affidavit said.

Scott stated that he drove around the block and then returned to check on Dauntain's condition. Scott believed Dauntain was dead so he drove to Brownell Homes to and parked the vehicle and called for his brother to pick him up, the affidavit said.