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I-Team: Memo warned judge of alleged bail violation by Clayton homicide suspect

A letter obtained by the I-Team shows a GPS company notified a judge in a previous case that Johnson allowed his ankle bracelet to die.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Less than two months before Trenell Johnson allegedly fatally shot a Clayton man earlier this week, a GPS company told the judge he had violated his GPS monitoring and it appears nothing was done about it.

According to a memo obtained by the I-Team, Community Services of Missouri, Inc. wrote: “Dear Judge Hilton: please be advised that Mr. Johnson is no longer being monitored on GPS by this agency. His bracelet has not been charged and he will not return messages left by this agency. It is requested that if Mr. Johnson makes contact with the court, that the court allow this agency to obtain our equipment. Due to Mr. Johnson’s non-compliance with both the equipment and payments for the equipment, we will no longer supervise his GPS services.”

Then, at a hearing Oct. 12, the court file indicates Johnson appeared in court, but nothing changed. He was allowed to remain on bond despite the GPS monitoring violation.

A spokesman for the 21st Circuit, which includes Judge Bruce Hilton, declined to comment in a statement to 5 On Your Side, which read:

“Per Missouri State Supreme Court Rule 2, a judge shall not make any public statement that might reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending or impending in any court.”

The I-Team met with St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell Friday afternoon. He said his office was not notified of this memo, because it was part of a pretrial assessment in which his office wasn't involved.

Johnson was out on bail after police say in March, he fled from police in a stolen Kia, weaving in and out of traffic and into oncoming traffic. A police helicopter monitored the stolen car until it collided with a Metro Bus near Ferguson Avenue and St. Charles Rock Road. It then continued and struck a truck, which left the Kia inoperable, according to court documents. 

Johnson then ran away from the stolen car, and "displayed a firearm in a threatening manner" toward a detective who was chasing him. The detective was able to disarm Johnson and arrest him, according to court documents. 

The Kia Sportage had been reported stolen out of University City that same day, according to the documents. 

Bell's office asked the judge for a $30,000 bail, "because we are cracking down on these car theft cases because they have become a scourge in this community."

Hilton reduced it, allowing Johnson to post $3,000 or 10%. 

Bell said he disagreed but understands why the judge did so, given the low-level felonies at issue. 

"In the court's defense, what they did is not out of line with what is typically done in a case like this," Bell said.   

Bell's office had a second chance to argue Johnson's bail should be higher when the case went to the circuit court out of the associate court, but didn't. 

"We didn't have any reason to at that point," Bell said. "He's in there for D and E felonies and there hadn't been anything that we were made aware of at the time with respect to any serious violations."

The Bail Project, a nonprofit that posts bail for people who cannot afford it, then posted the $3,000 bail in July. Bell said the work the nonprofit does is "overall needed in the community."

"I do think that when we look nationally, not just St. Louis County, there have been issues of over-burdensome bonds on folks who may not necessarily deserve it," Bell said. "Obviously, this would not be an example of that. 

"But when that one case happens where someone commits a crime after getting out, the first thing is to point the finger at someone. And let's be clear, that the finger should be pointed at the defendant who committed these crimes. Period."

The I-Team has learned the victim in the Clayton homicide Monday was armed with his own weapon when he confronted Johnson.

"Your car is not worth your life," Bell said. "And even if you have a gun, it's best to call the police. 

"If they get away with the car, so be it. It's not worth confronting someone. And you don't know what they have or what they're capable of. I would I would ask anyone within earshot of my voice -- do not confront these individuals. It's too dangerous. And we want to avoid these kind of tragedies as much as we can. And again, we obviously don't want to put the victim at fault for this because it's not the victim's fault. The victim didn't do anything wrong. Let me just be clear on that. The defendant is the one who should be held accountable. And we're going to do everything in our power to hold the defendant accountable."

Community Services of Missouri, Inc. did not return a phone call seeking comment.

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