Affidavit: Tyler murder victim warned fiancé minutes before death

TYLER — A Tyler man was charged with murder, a first-degree felony, after allegedly shooting his brother. According to our news partner KETK, the shooting happened on McKenzie Drive in Tyler on July 15. Investigators were informed that the person found at the scene, who was later identified as Jaraine Johnson, had been shot in the backyard of the residence. The suspect, later identified as Lee Autrey Jodeci Morgan, who is known by his family as “Jody,” was not located at the scene when officers arrived on the scene. According to the affidavit, Johnson’s fiancé, who lived with Johnson, said Morgan came to the couple’s residence at 7 a.m. Morgan knocked on the door and she told Johnson that his bother was at their residence. The fiancé reportedly told officials that Johnson went outside and spoke to his brother, Morgan, for a short time before coming back inside and telling her that he had to take Morgan to get his truck. According to the affidavit, the fiancé also said that before leaving, Johnson said “If I’m not back in ten minutes, Jody shot me.” At this point, Johnson and Morgan left the house in a gray truck, officials said.

After ten minutes, she heard the truck pull back into the driveway. However, then she heard what she believed to be five gunshots coming from the backyard, according to the affidavit. The finance went outside to find Johnson laying in the backyard, bleeding from the mouth and unresponsive, she reportedly told police. She was fearful that Morgan was still at the residence, so she ran back inside with her five children and called the police, the affidavit stated. She said that while she was outside discovering what had happened to Johnson, she did not see Morgan anywhere outside or inside of the residence, officials said.

When police arrived, they said they found Johnson laying in the grass in the backyard, near the patio on the northwest corner of the home. Police found that Johnson had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest, back and face, at which time they tried to render aid to him. According to documents, UT EMS arrived at the location soon after, where they were apparently able to find a pulse on Johnson. The victim was then transported to the UT Health Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The fiancé of the victim showed officers and investigators a Ring Doorbell camera video showing Morgan coming to the home earlier that morning. A conversation was recorded on the camera in which Johnson can be heard speaking to Morgan.

It was apparent in the conversation that Johnson was suspicious of what Morgan was telling him and that Morgan was asking Johnson to take him to wherever Morgan’s truck was, according to the affidavit. Officials said the two are also pictured on the Ring Doorbell to have been sitting on the open rear tailgate of a black Chevrolet truck, where there did not appear to be any kind of altercation. They were then reportedly seen getting into a gray Dodge truck and leaving the home. The next point that was seen on the camera was when the motion detector went off during the time that the police came after the scene of the crime. While collecting evidence, investigators found four spent shell casings which appeared to be from a 9mm handgun.

While still at the scene of the crime, investigators and officers received notification from Morgan’s father who had called to make a police report stating that Morgan was at the Andrews Center in Tyler, according to the affidavit. According to documents, Morgan had told his father that he shot his brother, Johnson, because he was “hearing voices.” Morgan’s father also said that he advised Morgan to get help with his mental health issues and to turn himself in to the police.

Officers responded to the location and contact the father again. Morgan’s father called Morgan again and convinced him to go to the Andrews Center, officials said. Shortly after, Morgan pulled into the parking lot of the Andrews Center in his vehicle, a tan Chevrolet truck. Officers then convinced Morgan to exit his vehicle unarmed, documents stated.

As Morgan was exiting, officers noticed a handgun, which appeared to be a 9mm caliber pistol, in the driver’s door pocket of the vehicle. Morgan was then detained without incident and transported to the Tyler Police Department for questioning. Morgan’s vehicle was towed to the Tyler Police Department to be processed as evidence.

Investigators asked Morgan after his detainment to tell them what happened that morning after being read his Miranda rights. Morgan advised officials that he would like to speak to a lawyer.

Morgan was booked into the Smith County Jail on a $1 million bond.