Cold case murder trial witness admits lying to police
The jury in a cold case murder trial over the disappearance of a Victorian man in 2006 has heard a key witness admit they had lied to police.
A key witness in a cold case murder trial over the disappearance of Christopher Jarvis in 2006 has admitted to lying to police in 2022. Steven Frederick Johnson, 74, faces one charge of murder in connection with Jarvis' disappearance. The crown alleges that Johnson orchestrated a violent attack on Jarvis over unpaid rent and disposed of his body, while the defense claims Johnson sought to lawfully resolve the rental dispute.
The jury heard from the unnamed witness, who claimed to have assisted Johnson with the killing, but could not be legally named. During cross-examination, the defense suggested the witness was not truthful about his knowledge of Jarvis and had met him more frequently than he admitted. The witness testified that he only met Jarvis when he paid him $100 for marijuana and denied socializing with him.
The witness previously told the court he had memory issues, but admitted during cross-examination that he lied to police in 2022 about knowing Jarvis. The trial continues at the Victorian Supreme Court in Warrnambool.
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