CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Tia Johnson, a Chesapeake woman charged in the murder of her boyfriend, has been granted bond following a hearing Friday. This comes after a News 3 investigation uncovered important evidence that wasn't shown to the jury during her initial trial, leading to a judge granting her a new one and vacating her murder conviction.
Johnson's bond was set at $100,000 and requires her to wear a GPS tracking device. As of this writing, she has not bonded out.
Watch previous coverage: Woman gets new trial, murder conviction vacated after WTKR uncovered evidence
There’s no doubt Tia Johnson, 23, shot and killed her boyfriend Martario Gee, 40, on February 12, 2024, as he was walking away from her house. It’s all caught on Ring camera video.
“I didn’t mean for him to die. I was trying to protect my children," Johnson told News 3 investigator Margaret Kavanagh from jail.
She said Gee made her fear for her life that night.
The two had been dating for a few months and she claims fights would often turn physical. She says she called 911 a few weeks before, wanting help from law enforcement to get Gee out of her house during an argument. However, prosecutors and a detective testified that the previous 911 calls didn’t exist during her murder trial, and a jury found her guilty of first-degree murder.
After Kavanagh filed a Freedom of Information Act request for all calls for service to the Chesapeake home, she found that about six weeks before the shooting, two 911 calls were made: a domestic complaint and a citizen assist call.
Watch: Body cam video shows police responding to 911 calls made from Tia Johnson’s home
Johnson's attorney, Eric Korslund, filed a motion to dismiss the case against his client, accusing prosecutors of withholding crucial evidence from the defense. The lead detective on the case testified that he only searched Johnson and Gee’s last names, not the actual address, which is why they say they originally said there was no record of the calls in the system. Prosecutors argue that Johnson didn’t report any abuse to officers when they arrived at the home and wouldn’t give her name, which is why it wasn’t in the system.
A judge chose not to dismiss the case, ruling instead to grant Johnson a new trial, stating that evidence of the previous calls might have changed the trial's outcome.
Johnson's family says they are thrilled she will get to see her four children. Her new trial is scheduled for January 27.
