Conflicting alibis offered for Kaylon Bailey in murder trial

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo Defendant Kaylon Bailey, who is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and the killing of Kima Evans, sits in the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Courts Building in Judge Rebecca Stern's courtroom on Tuesday.

Three witnesses for a man charged with murder in a 2012 killing offered two different alibis for Kaylon Bailey at his trial this week.

Sierra Johnson and George Lebron Johnson Jr. both testified that Bailey was at their Rossville home about 7 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2012, near the time of the shooting at 1706 Cambridge Drive in Chattanooga.

George Lebron Johnson Sr., the father of both witnesses, has been charged with being an accessory after the fact in the same murder case.

But Bailey's mother, Cindy Bailey, testified that her son was at her Chattanooga home with a friend at the same time.

Bailey, 36, faces a murder charge in the shooting death of Kima Evans, 35. Police say the shooter fired 10 slugs of .223 caliber ammunition into Evans' mother's silver Mercedes.

Evans was hit at least five times. His voice could be heard yelling "momma" on the 911 call played in court Wednesday. While begging for help, he tells his mother that Kaylon Bailey shot him.

"I'm coming, baby," Anita Evans can be heard saying to Kima Evans on the recording as she rushes out of her home and to the driveway.

"Where you shot at, baby? All in his back," she tells the 911 operator.

Kima Evans tells Anita to get his phone out of the car. While looking for the phone, she also finds marijuana.

The last words Kima Evans spoke to her while he was being loaded into the ambulance were "Momma, it hurts so bad," she said.

The victim went into a coma and died weeks later.

While under cross-examination by defense attorney Mike Acuff, who asked if it was possible Kima Evans was talking about someone else, Anita Evans got irritated and confronted Kaylon Bailey directly.

She said that the men were childhood friends but that Kima hadn't seen Kaylon in months.

"He didn't even know you was out of jail," Anita said to Kaylon.

That statement prompted a break and later instructions from Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Rebecca Stern that the woman not mention Kaylon's criminal history. If mentioned it could cause a mistrial, the judge said.

Attorneys finished closing arguments in the case Wednesday. Jury deliberations are to begin today.

Contact staff writer Todd South at tsouth@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6347. Follow him on Twitter @tsouthCTFP.