Defendant in murder case takes stand

Johnston recounts incidents that led up to fatal shooting

CLEARFIELD -- A man on trial for murder said he didn't know he shot Jude Srock until he saw blood on his face.

Glen "Chet" Chester Johnston, 61, of DuBois, is charged with fatally shooting Srock, 46, also of DuBois, in a parking lot on South Franklin Street on March 17, 2022.

Johnston took the stand Wednesday in Clearfield County Court to give jurors his side of the story. During the trial, which started Monday, jurors heard previous testimony and a police recording of an interview with Johnston that revealed Srock was having an affair with Johnston's wife.

Johnston's testimony outlined the events leading to that fatal encounter last year.

The couple had been married for 40 years when Johnston learned his wife was having an affair in November 2021, after someone asked him if the pair were still married because they saw her out drinking with someone else.

"We sat down and talked about it and decided to try to make our marriage work," Johnston told the jury.

Johnston said he thought the affair was over, but discovered otherwise in February 2022. At that time, he also found out the man she was involved with was Srock, who had been a friend.

When his wife didn't come home the night of March 16, 2022, after having been out for hours with "friends," including Srock, and wasn't responding to his calls and texts, Johnston said he went out to try to find her.

He drove around the area where her friends lived before spotting Srock's vehicle. While sitting in a nearby lot, he saw his wife and Srock walking to and getting in the vehicle, he testified, stating he followed them to a location near another friend's apartment.

Johnston said Srock went into the apartment while he spoke with his wife, who, he said, wanted to keep working on their marriage.

Srock then exited the apartment, screamed at him, said he couldn't take care of her and accused him of beating her, Johnston testified.

Two other men joined Srock, which made him fear he was about to be beaten up, Johnston said. He and his wife got back into his vehicle and left, Johnston said, but they argued, so she went back to be with her "friends.''

The next day -- March 17, 2022 -- Johnston said he still felt as if his marriage could be saved but did speak to his employer about possibly transferring to a store in New York where his son lives.

After his wife came home that morning, she said her relationship with Srock was over, but wanted to go out with her friends again. Johnston said he told her he was going to talk with Srock and then went to find him.

Johnston testified that he had a gun locked in his vehicle's glove compartment because his wife had talked about committing suicide. He took the gun out to have with him for protection when he went to talk to Srock.

Johnston said he saw Srock's vehicle and waited by it for him to return. When Srock came out, he asked if they were going to talk, Johnston said.

He described Srock as having his chest "puffed out" in a macho manner and said Srock insulted him by telling him "I was not a man and can't take care of my wife."

Srock was being "arrogant" and thought he was being funny, Johnston testified, saying he was concerned again that he was going to get beat up.

When defense attorney William A. Shaw Jr. asked Johnston why he didn't run away, Johnston said he couldn't run away because of problems with his knees.

"I just lost it," he explained, stating he pulled the gun from his right front pants pocket and it accidentally went off into the ground.

It was after Srock taunted him by saying, "So, you're a big man. You going to shoot me?" that he shot him, Johnston said.

"At first I couldn't believe I shot him," he testified. He fled the scene when he heard others coming who could help Srock.

"I was so upset I was going to shoot myself," he told the jury, stating he went home to kill himself but realized he couldn't after his little dog jumped into his lap and licked his face.

He then continued to contemplate suicide and even drove to a camp where he planned to do it, but after talking to his wife, who said she would try to work out their relationship and stand by him, he decided to drive back to DuBois to surrender to authorities, Johnston said.

During her cross-examination, First Assistant District Attorney Leanne Nedza asked if he killed Srock to get rid of the person standing between him and wife.

"No. I'm not that kind of person," Johnston responded.

Nedza accused him of "stalking" his wife and her lover, which he denied, repeating that he was out looking for her that night because she wasn't answering him and he was worried something happened to her.

Nedza asked if it was on March 17 that his wife told him she loved Srock. He said yes, but she said she would end it and Johnston said he felt they were going to work on their relationship.

Nedza also demonstrated how he must have unlocked the glove compartment to get the gun, got bullets from the center console of the vehicle and loaded it, "while watching the apartment."

He responded that he was only watching what he was doing.

"When you pulled the gun, did you want to scare him?" she asked.

"I wanted to protect myself" from getting assaulted by Srock and his friends, Johnston answered.

She asked if the first shot was not an accident, but a "warning shot" to Srock, which Johnston denied.

Nedza then mentioned previous expert testimony stating that it would take a pull of several pounds for that gun to go off and suggested he had cocked the gun. Johnston said he didn't cock it before either shot.

She asked if he was just mad, why he didn't shoot Srock in the kneecap or other places. Johnston stated that he didn't really aim at all and only realized he shot Srock when he saw blood on his face.

The trial is expected to wrap up today, with both sides providing closing arguments before the jury begins deliberations to determine whether Johnston is guilty of first-degree murder, third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter.