Angry outbursts mark Thursday testimony in Robinson murder trial

Angry outbursts in Thursday’s testimony in the capital murder trial of Tajmon Robinson prompted 30^th District Court Judge Jeff McKnight to threaten a witness with contempt of court.

Robinson is on trial for killing clerk Floyd Kirt during the robbery of a Stripes convenience store on Southwest Parkway at Taft Boulevard in Wichita Falls on Feb. 12, 2022.

Robinson’s former girlfriend, Taesheona Johnson, testified under subpoena, denying that Robinson ever told her he had killed Kirt.

First Assistant District Attorney Dobie Kosub pointed out that she had told a grand jury Robinson admitted killing the clerk, but she denied saying it or that Robinson had texted her to say he had committed the crime.

McKnight admonished her for not directly answering Kosub’s questions.

“Y’all are lying on me. I swear to God!” an angry Johnson said.

McKnight sent the jury from the courtroom and instructed the woman to answer Kosub’s questions without elaboration or face a fine and possibly jail time.

Johnson continued to deny she told the grand jury that Robinson had admitted to the killing.

Under defense questioning, she said Wichita Falls Police told her that Robinson had committed the murder.

Amelia Corona testified that Robinson and Johnson had stayed at her apartment at Brigadoon Apartments for a short while about the time of the murder, but Johnson had left and Corona called police to try to get Robinson out of the apartment. She also said she had seen a gun in Robinson’s pocket and recognized Robinson in store surveillance pictures that were released to media after the murder.

A friend, Terique Jones, testified Robinson had stayed at his house on Garfield Street after the robbery. He said Robinson had earlier sent him a picture of a gun on Facebook and that he had seen a gun in his possession.

Jurors also heard from another former girlfriend that Robinson had told her he had worked at the Stripes store and knew where the safe was if he wanted to rob the place.

On Wednesday, jurors were shown surveillance video and police photos that showed the robbery and killing of Kirt by a man who then rummaged behind the counter and took cigarettes and lottery tickets before leaving the store. They also watched video of a police interview in which Robinson at first denies and then confesses to the crime, saying he wanted money to leave town.

The District Attorney's Office has not sought the death penalty, but by Texas law Robinson, 23, must be sentenced to life in prison without parole if he's convicted on the capital charge.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Angry outbursts mark Thursday testimony in Robinson murder trial