CANTON (WWJ) -- A Canton Township man will stand trial on murder and other charges connected to a deadly shooting in a dispute last summer over mulch.
Devereaux Johnson, 47, was charged in August 2024 with shooting his neighbor, 35-year-old Nathan Morris, outside his home on Cornell Street.
Investigators said Morris and his family were walking in the neighborhood when his daughter started playing with wood chips in Johnson's yard.
"The neighbor didn't like that, became angry, and then Morris sent his daughter home so he could try to defuse the situation with that neighbor," WWJ's Charlie Langton said.
There was an exchange of words, according to police, before Johnson pulled out a gun and shot Morris.
Police and EMS rush to the scene and found Morris bleeding in the street. He was taken to a hospital where he died of his injuries.
Police said the suspect barricaded himself inside his home, but ultimately surrendered himself into police custody.
In an unusual move, Johnson testified during the preliminary hearing and admitted to the shooting.
The case now moves to Wayne County Circuit Court.
If convicted, Johnson faces life in prison.