Trending
CLEARFIELD -- The trial for a DuBois man accused of shooting and killing a man he said was having an affair with his wife started Monday in Clearfield County Court.
DuBois City Police say Glen "Chet" Chester Johnston, 61, shot Jude Srock, 46, also of DuBois, in a parking lot on South Franklin Street on March 17, 2022.
In his opening statement, Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers told the jury that Johnston drove from his home with a loaded firearm to confront Srock.
After words were exchanged, Johnston shot Srock in the head, he said.
He outlined the various witnesses expected to testify, including eyewitnesses from the location, police and crime lab specialists.
Defense attorney William A. Shaw Jr. stated the defense is not disputing that Johnston killed the victim, but is going to focus on the level of the crime: whether it was first-degree murder, third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter.
"This is the whole point of the trial."
Shaw described Johnston as a "local fella," who, after 40 years of marriage, learned around Thanksgiving in 2021 that his wife was "perhaps" having an affair. They were trying to work things out and he thought things were going well until March 16, when he found out she was meeting with the man again, Shaw said.
Johnston went to the victim's apartment on
March 16, where the two had a confrontation during which three or four other people surrounded Johnston.
"He became afraid for his safety and left," Shaw said.
Johnston only had the gun with him the next day, Shaw claimed, because his wife was threatening to shoot herself and he took it "to protect his wife."
Johnston was going to encourage Srock to stay away from his wife, but Srock, whom he described as a tough guy and former Marine, was very confrontational. This led to Johnston thinking the other people he saw the day before would be approaching soon and Johnston was in fear that he was going to be physically assaulted, Shaw explained.
Johnston later told police he had the gun in his pocket because he didn't want to "get beat up." After Srock made comments about his marriage, Johnston tried to pull the gun out, and it went off accidentally. Then he shot Srock in the head, Shaw said.
Afterward Johnston surrendered to authorities "with no difficulty." He repeatedly told police he didn't go there to murder him and didn't want to kill him, Shaw said.
"That's not the kind of person he is," Shaw said.
For a murder conviction, the commonwealth will have to show the action was premeditated and the evidence will not support that conclusion, Shaw stated.
According to the affidavit, Johnston was very upset and discussed taking his own life prior to being taken into custody. During his interview with investigators, he detailed their encounter, saying Srock approached him saying, "Are we going to talk about this now?"
"Johnston said that Srock became puff-chested and said he wasn't going to talk to a guy that couldn't even take care of his own wife," according to the report.
That angered Johnston, so he pulled the revolver from his right pants pocket and the gun accidentally discharged into the ground.
Johnston told police that Srock then said, "What are you going to do, shoot me?" Johnston allegedly raised the gun and shot him in the head. He then fled the scene.
Toward the end of questioning, Johnston asked if Srock was dead or alive. Johnston reportedly became emotional upon learning he had killed Srock.
The trial is scheduled to last the rest of the week.