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HAMILTON — A jury found Harvey "Shawn" Johnson Jr. guilty today, May 2, of murdering Kiva Gazaway, a 38-year-old Liberty Twp. mother of teenage daughters, in 2007.

He could face the death penalty

The jury, after five days of trial, found Johnson guilty of two counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated kidnapping. On each charge of aggravated murder he was found guilty of the specifications that he committed murder while kidnapping, to try to escape punishment and with the presence of a firearm.

He was found not guilty of the specification that he committed murder after raping Gazaway. He was also found not guilty of the charge of aggravated rape.

Johnson did not react as the verdicts were read.

Gazaway's daughter Jazmine Gazaway quietly hugged a friend following the verdicts. Though, she cheered and clapped after leaving the courtroom. Gazaway's other daughter was not present.

"I can breathe easier now," the 19-year-old daughter said. "I can sleep at night not thinking 'what if he gets off?'"

The jury deliberated for two days in the death penalty trial.

They stayed in hotel Thursday evening and returned to Butler County Common Pleas Judge Andrew Nastoff's courtroom at 8:30 a.m. Friday, May 2. The jury returned a verdict about 2:30 p.m.

The jury had previously requested to hear Johnson's taped confession. Johnson, 33, a convicted bank robber who is already facing 18 years in prison for trying to escape by grabbing a bailiff's gun in Fairfield Municipal Court

The jury will return to court at 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 5, to begin the sentencing portion of the trial. As a result of the jury's verdicts, the death penalty is still in play.

Though, Jazmine Gazaway said she no longer worries about the sentence.

"Knowing that he will never see the light of day again, this is what makes me smile," she said.

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