NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Opening statements began Thursday in the trial of 22-year-old Marcus Ealy, accused of fatally shooting 21-year-old Malcolm Johnson Jr. execution style after an armed robbery behind a North Miami Beach gentlemen’s club in 2023.
Prosecutor Gabriela Gonzalez told jurors that the killing was captured on video.
“He took his chain, he took his wallet, and he took his life. The defendant, Marcus Ealy, murdered Marcus Johnson Jr., while robbing him at gunpoint. And the entire event was captured on video,” Gonzalez said.
Defense attorneys countered that the state’s case relies heavily on assumptions.
“The evidence in this case is going to establish an assumption, upon assumption, upon assumption,” defense attorney Seth LaVey said.
Among the state’s witnesses was Ealy’s own brother, Albert Davis, who testified that he recognized Ealy in the surveillance video showing the fatal encounter.
“For sure, no doubt,” Davis said.
Prosecutors also argued that Ealy took photos just hours after the killing, posing with the same gold chain stolen from Johnson.
LaVey pushed back on that point as well, telling jurors:
“Medallion is not unique, they are different. They must eliminate every reasonable doubt.”
Police first announced Ealy’s arrest in June 2023.
At the time, investigators said the shooting was caught on camera, showing Johnson putting his hands up before one of the suspects retrieved a gun and opened fire.
They said the suspects fled in a stolen sedan, leaving Johnson bleeding in the street. A second suspect has not been identified.
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