A man who said he was a former gang member testified Tuesday that Courtney High admitted killing his cousin, 22-year-old Jerica Jackson.
Johnny Clemons said he did not like the fact that High had killed one of his own family members so he would not let him hide out at his home in Atlanta. He said High's girlfriend, who is a cousin of Clemons, had asked that they be able to stay with them because "it's going down in Chatt. He had to kill his cousin because she was supposed to set up one of the home boys (an Athens Park Blood gang member)."
Clemons said when he turned High and his girlfriend down that High later returned and shot him. He testified in General Sessions Court that he heard the click of a gun and he started running. He said he was hit three times before turning a corner and collapsing.
Judge Lila Statom set the first-degree murder bond for High at $1 million after prosecutor Lance Pope called him "an extreme danger to the community."
The prosecutor said High recently got out of prison from an eight-year sentence for attempted aggravated arson.
Clemons said High said of the Jackson killing that he hid in some bushes and shot her as she walked up to her SUV. Clemons said, "He said he shot her in the face. He said he could see her body shaking."
The young woman's body was found in the SUV at 4615 Trailwood Dr. on June 11.
Clemons, who is currently incarcerated himself, said he decided not to help High hide because "I ain't with nobody who would kill a family member. I don't feel comfortable about doing that." He said he was afraid that High would wind up "killing me and my family."
Clemons also said he had been tossed a threatening letter into his jail cell just before going on the witness stand. He said another inmate passed it on shortly after he heard High's voice nearby.
The unsigned letter started out, "Hey, Blood." It said, "If you get on the stand, it's personal. Don't cross the mob."
Clemons said he had moved to Atlanta from Chattanooga after his brother, Javario Eagle, was shot by officers last December. Eagle was armed, and the officers were later cleared of wrongdoing.
A detective said High was located after the Jackson slaying at the 4As Motel in East Ridge. A gold Impala that he said was tied to the murder was at the motel. Inside a folder with some mail addressed to High was the address of Ms. Jackson written on a piece of paper.
It was testified that Ms. Jackson's vehicle had been shot up by an ex-boyfriend a couple of weeks prior to her murder.