Charleston Murder Trial Underway

• {Charleston, West Virginia}...Mark Artez Johnson, 21, of Charleston was the first witness to testify in James Daughtery's trial. Daughtery is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for shooting Bruce Duling, 53, of Charleston, and Carrier Pontier, 33, of Marmet, while they sat in a vehicle on Chesterfield Avenue on February 10, 2010. Johnson, a friend of Johnson, told a jury Johnson bragged about the killing shortly after it occurred, saying he had "earned his stripes." Johnson asked several times if he could plead the fifth, but Circuit Judge James Stucky ordered him to respond, except for once when he was asked about his activities as a drug dealer. Johnson testified that Daughtery came to his house shortly after the murders and  gave details, including that it was done with a silver revolver and that a red bandana was wrapped around it to prevent gunshot residue, and he shot them with a .22 inside the car, then got out the car and started to leave and then shot again. Johnson said Daughtery had sold Duling and Pontier fake crack, composed of candle wax and powder.