Charge reduced against teenager accused of murdering Jesse Hogg

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — On the second day of the murder trial of Tristan Johnson, Jr., the jury saw evidence of guns recovered from Sykes Avenue where 17-year-old Jessie Hogg was shot and killed in December 2022.

The Commonwealth decided to discontinue these proceedings and reduce Johnson's original charge of aggravated murder to first degree murder. Johnson was only 16 at the time, but is being tried as an adult in circuit court.

He was one of four teenagers who parked on Sykes Avenue, allegedly to buy a gun from Hogg. According to a Portsmouth detective who testified Tuesday, Johnson said he was afraid of the co-defendant, Phirondus “Rondo” Clemon, then 17 years old. Clemon and his girlfriend, Analwah “Minnie” Jones, 18, picked up Johnson and his friend, 13, who turned out to be the youngest of the four defendants.

The detective said Johnson told him that Clemon pressured him to steal Hogg's gun instead of buying it, and Johnson told the detective he grabbed Hogg's gun from his waistband and then he heard Clemon start shooting at Hogg.

Two neighbors testified Monday that they heard a total of 10 gunshots, consistent with the medical examiner's report. Dr. Clare Bryce testified that Jesse Hogg was shot 10 times and that five of those bullets were recovered from his body.

He died lying in a yard along Sykes Avenue. Bryce said that of the 10 wounds, the bullets that passed through Hogg's left back and right abdomen were likely the most fatal.

An evidence technician identified three firearms that were entered into evidence, two 9-millimeter handguns and one .40 caliber handgun. Some shell casings were found near Hogg's body and others further down Sykes Avenue.

A state firearms examiner compared bullets and cartridge cases to two of three guns recovered during the investigation.

The 13-year-old is currently serving time in the juvenile justice system. Jones and Clemon are scheduled to appear in court later this year.