DAYTON — The trial for the second man accused of killing a 12-year-old girl while she slept in her bed started Monday.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Javen Conner is accused of firing dozens of shots at a house on W Fairview Avenue.
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At least one of those bullets took the life of Isabella Carlos, who lived next door.
Conner went to the area with his brother, Antawan Benson, and allegedly opened fire on a duplex across the street.
A woman they had problems with on social media lived in this duplex.
Prosecutors claim the brothers fired more than three dozen shots.
“Just after midnight on August 23, 2024, gunfire erupted in Dayton. Three houses on West Fairview Avenue were hit with a hailstorm, a hailstorm of bullets,” Montgomery County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Rizzo said during his opening statements.
Prosecutors told a jury they would walk them through all the evidence that points to Conner being responsible for the girl’s death.
The same prosecutors secured a conviction against Benson during a trial that ended last week.
They claim surveillance video at a Trotwood apartment complex caught the men carrying high-powered weapons just hours before the shooting.
They also claim the brothers were caught on video running towards a car with the weapons drawn.
The woman driving that car lived at the Fairview duplex that police believe the men opened fire on in August 2024.
“During this trial, you will learn about the events leading up to the shooting just hours beforehand and you will know exactly where this defendant fits into those events,” Rizzo said.
Conner’s defense lawyer has a much different view of what happened.
“You’re going to wonder, does this guy have any kind of motive? Does Mr. Conner have any kind of motive to do what he’s accused of doing? Who has a motive?” Defense lawyer Jeffrey Gramza said.
He urged the jury to keep an open mind about Conner and claimed he wasn’t responsible for the girl’s death.
Gramza believes they’ll be convinced Conner is innocent if they follow the testimony closely.
“If that doesn’t make you realize that there is some reasonable doubt here, as to who actually committed these shootings and caused the death of this 12-year-old child,” Gramza said.
Conner’s trial is expected to take a week.
It’s unclear if Conner will take the stand in his own defense.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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