Convicted of first degree murder
MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A judge in Muskegon County has ruled that Robert Johnson deliberately killed a real estate agent in 2008 and has convicted him of first degree murder.
Johnson had pleaded guilty to open murder, allowing the judge decide whether to convict him of first or second degree murder.
Johnson admits that in 2008 he walked into a real estate office and killed Troy Vanderstelt.
Prosecutors say Johnson killed Vanderstelt because he was upset about losing money on his property. Johnson says he only intended to scare Vanderstelt.
In a surprise move on Thursday, Johnson decided not to testify in his own defense, perhaps thinking it wouldn't help him face the mountain of evidence against him.
Johnson will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
In the moments after the verdict was read, huge relief was apparent in Vanderstelt's family, which had waited more than a year for justice. When it was over, Vanderstelt's wife Bridget spoke to Newschannel 3 about Johnson.
"He met me and my newborn baby, to not think he did that and say I am going to leave this poor woman with her children," said Bridget.
Bridget got a big shock in court Thursday. During the hearing, the prosecutor said that Johnson had a piece of paper in his pocket on the day of the murder. On that piece of paper was the victim's home address, suggesting that if Johnson didn't find Vanderstelt at his office, he would try to find him at home.
"To know he had his address in his pocket and to know if he didn't do it there he was coming, he would have me and Troy and the kids," said Bridget.
In closing arguments Thursday, the prosecutor's job was to prove to the judge that the murder was premeditated, that the plot was planted in advance of the crime.
A mountain of evidence was presented. The prosecutor said Johnson chose a small gun so he could conceal the weapon. There was also significant evidence in the case that Johnson said several times in advance of the crime that he wanted the Realtor dead. Johnson went so far as to say that to a 12-year-old boy who was doing yard work for him.
Other testimony indicated that Johnson said in several different ways that the Realtor got what he deserved because he had ripped him off to the tune of thousands of dollars. In actuality, Johnson might not have lost any money, and that fact rips at the hearts of the people who knew and loved Troy Vanderstelt.
Johnson's family members spoke off-camera to Newschannel, saying that Johnson made the terrible mistake because of a mixture of drugs and alcohol in his system.
