Robbery plot leads to two arrested for capital murder

SMITH COUNTY — A woman has been arrested in connection to a Saturday morning murder in Smith County after investigators uncovered text messages allegedly revealing she helped plan a robbery leading to the victim’s death.

According to our news partner KETK, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call around 2 a.m. on Saturday after a person reported seeing a man lying on the side of the road in Flint. Further information revealed the man had been shot. When officials arrived, they found James Michael LittleJohn unresponsive and he was transported to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries. An affidavit obtained from the sheriff’s office revealed the victim was sitting in the front passenger seat with Ashley Kate Joiner as the driver. A second suspect, John Floyd McDaniel, 55, was in the back passenger seat.

“While she was operating the vehicle…she witnessed McDaniel grab the victim from the back and attempt to rob Littlejohn with a handgun,” documents show. “Joiner stated she heard McDaniel tell [Littlejohn], ‘Don’t move, or I’ll shoot you, give me your phone.’”

After LittleJohn took out a knife to defend himself, McDaniel shot him one time, according to the affidavit.

Joiner reportedly told investigators that after fleeing the scene, she and McDaniel went to her home, where he instructed her to dispose of the vehicle while he followed in his car.

“[Joiner] stated she believed that since McDaniel was trying to get rid of the vehicle, she felt that he was also going to kill her because she was a witness of the incident,” the affidavit said.
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While being followed by McDaniel, Jonier said she was able to lose him and drove to the Frankston Police Department for help. Officials obtained the vehicle Joiner was driving and took it to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office where they found a .9mm Ruger semi-automatic handgun and three cell phones covered with blood in the vehicle.

Blood was also found throughout the vehicle, along with a large amount of blood in the backseat, the affidavit said. Detectives later learned that Joiner was lying as evidence obtained from her phone reportedly showed she willingly participated and helped with planning Littlejohn’s death.

“It was learned by reviewing the text messages in Ashley’s cell phone, she collaborated and acted in accordance with other subjects with the commencement of the robbery against Littlejohn which resulted in his death,” the affidavit stated.

McDaniel was found in Shreveport, La. Saturday morning around 10:45 a.m. by the Shreveport Police Department at the Economy Inn on IH 20 near the Shreveport Airport. He was then taken to the Caddo Parrish Jail on an unrelated warrant. Smith County investigators are in the process of obtaining an arrest warrant for capital murder on McDaniel.

Joiner was arrested on capital murder by terror threat and is being held in the Smith County Jail.