Wesleyan Murder Case Continued to June
Stephen Morgan has still issued no plea
By LEANNE GENDREAU
Updated 6:08 PM EST, Thu, Jun 4, 2009
Stephen Morgan has still entered no plea in the murder of Johanna Justin-Jinich, the Wesleyan University junior who was shot and killed in a campus bookstore café.
Morgan, a former Naval Petty Officer, and his lawyer were in Middlesex Superior Court judge Tuesday, when the judge continued the case until June 9. There will be a probable cause hearing within 60 days of the next court appearance.
Morgan remains in jail on $15 million bond.
Morgan is accused of shooting and killing Justin-Jinich on May 6 inside Red and Black Cafe inside Broad Street Books. On May 7, Morgan turned himself in to police after seeing his photo in a local newspaper.
He was arraigned on May 8, where his bail was increased, but he has not entered a plea.
The slaying instilled fear in the area as law officials told Wesleyan University students and the Jewish community to be careful after police found threats in a journal, according to information in court documents.
A journal left at the scene had entries including, "I think it's ok to kill Jews and go on a killing spree." It also says "Kill Johanna. She must Die," according to an arrest warrant.
Justin-Jinich and Morgan appear to have known each other from a six-week summer course they took at New York University in 2007. That, it seems, is where the problems and e-mails began.
In one e-mail, Morgan allegedly said, "You're going to have a lot more problems down the road if you can't take any (expletive) criticism, Johanna," according to the police report.
Justin-Jinich filed a complaint against Morgan after the class, telling NYU’s Public Safety Department she had been receiving harassing emails and phone calls from him. School officers attempted to investigate her claims, but that she declined to pursue the case.
On July 10, 2007, Justin-Jinich reached out to the New York Police Department and filed an aggravated harassment complaint, cops said. It claimed that he was calling her repeatedly and sent her insulting emails for at least a week, the Associated Press reports.
Morgan had apparently already left the city at the time the complaint was filed and was not arrested.
Since Morgan, who grew up in the well-to-do town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, was charged with murder in Justin-Jinich’s death, detectives have been receiving calls about his odd behavior during his time in the Navy.
Sources have told NBC Connecticut that Morgan was very volatile.
First Published: May 19, 2009 7:13 AM EST
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