Trial underway for man accused in Mesa massage-parlor slaying - azcentral.com

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Mugshot James Clayton Johnson(Photo: Mesa Police Department)


The trial of a Gilbert man accused in the 2010 murder of a recent Chinese immigrant and massage-parlor owner was underway Thursday morning in Maricopa County Superior Court.

James Clayton Johnson, 32, faces charges of first-degree murder, first-degree burglary and kidnapping in connection with the Dec. 7, 2010, death of Xiaohong Fu at her Taiwan Massage Parlor, near Baseline Road and the Loop 101.

Prosecuting attorney Kristin Larish presented photographs of the crime scene and Fu’s body.

The photos showed Fu’s arms bound with zip ties and multiple gashes on her stomach and throat.

Fu's widower listened to proceedings with the assistance of court-appointed Chinese translators.

The photos were too much to bear for Fu's daughter, Jessica Song, 21, who was comforted by her father as they averted their gaze downward and wiped away tears.

“It’s one of the most tough times I’ve been through,” Song said during a break in the trial. “Still, when I see the pictures, I can’t imagine (what happened).”

Song said her family had moved to the United States from China the year before Fu's murder, and her mother’s massage parlor was in business less than a year.

Defense attorney Robert Reinhardt questioned Mesa police Officer Evan Wick, who was the first officer on the scene.

Reinhardt asked Wick whether first responders had moved any items during the investigation. Wick said no, other than removing Fu's identification card from her wallet to identify her.

Mesa police arrested Johnson after crime-lab technicians linked him to blood found on the zip ties.

The DNA obtained from the zip ties matched Johnson's DNA, which had been stored in the FBI's DNA Index System after a prior felony conviction, according to Mesa police.

Johnson also will be tried in the Dec. 12, 2010, armed robbery of a Gilbert Christmas-tree lot.

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