Brewton man pleads guilty to murder

A Brewton man now faces 20 years to life in prison instead of a possible death sentence after he entered a blind guilty plea to murder Wednesday morning just before opening statements were going to be made to the jury.

James Larry Johnson, 32, was scheduled to stand trial on capital murder charges for the May 25, 2014 killing of Christopher Adam Salter. Johnson was originally charged with murder but an Escambia County grand jury upgraded the charges to capital murder, attempted murder and burglary.

If convicted of capital murder, Alabama law has two sentencing options: death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

A jury was seated Tuesday afternoon and testimony was scheduled to begin Wednesday morning when Johnson pleaded guilty to murder.

District Attorney Steve Billy said Circuit Judge Bert Rice ordered a presentence report and Johnson will be sentenced at 9 a.m. on Nov. 13. Billy said the penalty for murder is 20 years to life.

With that sentence, Johnson will be eligible for parole.

Johnson was accused of entering a travel trailer at 3920 AlaFlora Road, which is located in the Beaver Creek community in the eastern portion of Escambia County, Ala., and shooting and killing Salter, who was inside the trailer with Johnson's wife.

In addition to a $100,000 bond on the murder charge, Johnson remained in the Escambia County Detention Center on a probation violation. Prior to the shooting death, he had been convicted of domestic violence.

According to sheriff's office reports at the time of the killing, Johnson and his wife had a domestic dispute on Saturday night, May 24, and she left the residence and went to Salter's residence. It was noted in reports that Salter and Johnson's wife had a baby together.

Reports stated that on Sunday morning, Johnson went to Salter's residence, entered and shot him multiple times with the .22-caliber pistol.

Johnson left the scene but turned himself in at the detention center later that Sunday.