The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Former Willoughby man avoids more jail time
A former Willoughby man said he panicked when he hid the knife he used to fatally stab his roommate.
Lawrence Morgan, 55, was charged last spring in the death of 47-year-old Eric Johnson, whose body was found in a downtown basement apartment building at 10:21 p.m. May 21, 2016.
Morgan stabbed Johnson twice in the front torso after the two men argued. However, the grand jury determined Morgan acted in self-defense.
Morgan previously pleaded guilty as indicted in Lake County Common Pleas Court to a felony count of tampering with evidence for wiping the blood off the weapon and hiding the knife in some brush near Todd Field in Willoughby.
He was sentenced Oct. 25 to five years of community control — formerly known as probation.
“Probably the only thing that did affect my judgment that day was it was during the Rib CookOff. There were like 5,000 people all around me, so it did kind of affect how I proceeded with the knife. I should have called (police) right away.”
Morgan, who spent 493 days in jail awaiting trial, was released on his own recognizance last month after the grand jury decided not to proceed with the murder charge.
He was represented at sentencing by Assistant Lake County Public Defender Melissa Blake.
“I think it’s fair to say that Larry found himself in a situation that none of us would want to be in that evening,” Blake said. “He recognizes as he sits here now that he should have called police directly, he should have given them that knife. But I think with good reason, he probably had a million thoughts running through his mind, a million fears running through his mind, the night of this incident. Ultimately, that affected what he did with the knife — his decision to hide it initially.”
Ultimately, Morgan corrected his decision by taking police to the scene so they could recover the weapon, she added.
Morgan faced up to three years in prison. However, Assistant County Prosecutor Taylir Linden did not oppose the defense attorney’s request for community control.
“This was an unusual tragedy with unique facts to look at,” Linden said. “This is not your typical tampering with evidence charge.”
A witness who saw the argument testified the victim was the sole aggressor. After the physical altercation, Morgan left the apartment and was found
at a nearby restaurant several hours later.
Morgan has been diagnosed with PTSD and other mental health issues, Linden said.
Morgan, who had no prior felony record, has been living in Wickliffe with his mother since his release from jail.
He admittedly has issues with alcohol, and occasionally uses marijuana.
The defendant told Judge John P. O’Donnell that he previously checked himself into a mental health facility in 2000, but was unable to keep paying for treatment.
As a condition of probation, Morgan will be randomly tested for alcohol and drugs, must seek treatment for his mental health issues, pay all court costs and fees and get a full-time job. In addition, he cannot possess knives or other deadly weapons.
If he fails to abide by those terms, he could be sent to prison for the maximum three years.
Morgan — who attended college and trained to be in the Army National Guard — told the judge he is trying to find a job, but believes it will be difficult now that he has a felony on his record.
“I want to work at a maand-pa restaurant as a dishwasher or a prep cook,” he said.
Meanwhile, he continues to pursue artistic endeavors.
“I’m a writer,” said Morgan. “I’m working on six books I’m trying to finish.”