(Portage) Three people from Madison accused of killing another person in Columbia County have made their initial appearances in court. Jesse Freiberg, Laura Johnson, and Ja’Kenya Patty are all facing charges of First-Degree Intentional Homicide as a Party to a Crime.
The 28-year-old Freiberg had cash bond set at $1-million-dollars, bond was set at $750-thousand for the 38-year-old Johnson, and $500-thousand-dollars for the 21-year-old Patty. All three face life in prison for their alleged actions in the shooting death of Manuel Martinez in June.
According to Columbia County Sheriff’s officials Martinez was assaulted, bound, placed in the back of his own vehicle in Madison, then transported to rural Lewiston. Once outside of Portage on Klappstein Road, the 68-year-old was reportedly shot with a handgun as he was running away with his hands tied.
Authorities say the three defendants then returned to Madison where they discarded the victim’s personal property.
Freiberg, Johnson, and Patty have a pre-trial conference in August and a return date scheduled in September.
–Pictured from left to right: Jesse Freiberg, Ja’Kenya Patty, and Laura Johnson
