Man pleads guilty, is sentenced to 22 years for 2023 shooting death

Ronald Curnow pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon for the 2023 shooting death of Jimmie E. Johnson III.

In a near-empty courtroom void of supporters for the victim or the defendant, Greene County Judge Kaiti Greenwade sentenced Curnow to 22 years for the amended murder charge and seven years for illegally possessing the .357 Magnum revolver used in the crime. Those sentences will run concurrently.

Curnow, 24, was initially charged with first-degree murder before prosecutors downgraded the felony after learning of additional evidence. He also was charged with armed criminal action, but the count was dropped as part of his plea deal.

He appeared to be content with the sentence and the help from his public defender, Chantel Kelly.

"She fought tooth and nail to get me this deal, as I was facing life (in prison)," Curnow told Greenwade in a plea and sentencing hearing that lasted 15 minutes. "Now I have a chance of getting out, even if it's in my mid-40s."

In April 2023, police said, Curnow retaliated with deadly force after believing Johnson stole a few of his personal items while they were at Mustang Tobacco and Liquor on East Kearney. Observing the store's video surveillance, police saw a person with Johnson involved in a physical altercation with Curnow, with it appearing that Johnson grabbed a bag that Curnow dropped in the scuffle.

It wasn't until Curnow and his friend, Payne Morse, left the store that Curnow realized his bag was missing. Curnow was said to have gone back to the store to review the surveillance camera and identified Johnson as the person who had picked up his bag.

Morse told police he believed Curnow just planned to fight Johnson, 42, and get his property back. When the two arrived at the location off National Avenue, Johnson and his friend were walking through the backyard. At least one witness said they observed a man in a gray hooded sweatshirt fire shots at the men before running to a nearby car driven by Morse.

Morse, who was also sentenced for his role in this crime, reportedly took the gun from Curnow and stored it in a closet before police found it.