Cedar Rapids man faces 50 years for Kavon Johnson murder in 2022

CEDAR RAPIDS — A 22-year-old Cedar Rapids man faces his second 50-year sentence for killing a man who witnessed him fatally shooting Cordal Lewis a day earlier in 2022.

Kazius Childress, charged with first-degree murder and going armed with intent in the fatal shooting of Kavon I. Johnson, 22, on Jan. 28, 2022, pleaded Tuesday to second-degree murder. Johnson was found dead at 7:25 a.m. in the parking lot of Cedar Valley Park, 2250 Blakely Blvd. SE, according to a criminal complaint.

During the investigation, police found surveillance video that showed Johnson had been at the Kum & Go at 1420 Mount Vernon Rd. SE in a vehicle with Childress within minutes of another video and audio clip showing a vehicle matching the same description entering Cedar Valley Park — capturing multiple gunshots being fired.

Childress admitted being at the scene when Johnson was shot, according to the complaint. He was also identified by a witness as the person who killed Johnson.

Childress, during the plea, admitted to fatally shooting Johnson, acting with malice aforethought, and had the intent to kill Johnson that day.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Christopher Bruns accepted his plea. He told Childress he must serve a mandatory 70 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

Childress previously was sentenced up to 50 years for killing Cordal Lewis on Jan. 27, 2022.

Bruns pointed out, and the defense and prosecution agreed, the sentencing will be open, meaning the prosecution will argue the two sentences of up to 50 years each should run consecutively for up to a possible 100 years. The defense likely will argue for concurrent sentences — a total of up to 50 years.

Johnson’s family and friends attended the sentencing Tuesday. They declined to comment to reporters.

During the plea in Lewis’ murder, Childress admitted to firing multiple times as Lewis was running away from him. According to trial testimony, Childress fired 11 times, striking Lewis multiple times in the back. Bullets hit Lewis’ sternum and went through his heart. Police found nine shell casings at the scene.

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks, after the pleading, said Johnson was present when Lewis was killed and the “investigation showed he (Johnson) helped plan and execute the robbery of Lewis that led to his death.”

“By securing the admission of guilt to killing Cordal Lewis, we positioned the state to be able to argue that he shot Kavon Johnson on Jan. 28, 2022, because he didn’t want Kavon to turn him in,” Maybanks told The Gazette. “Without that admission, we would’ve had a difficult time introducing the whole story of what led to these back-to-back homicides, and securing a conviction for Kavon’s death.”

Maybanks said he will ask the judge to impose consecutive sentences that will put Childress in prison for the rest of his “natural life.”

“When Mr. Childress is sentenced for the death of Kavon Johnson, although they will always grieve Kavon and Cordal, the chapter will finally close for these families on the events of those tragic and fatal two days,” Maybanks said.

Sentencing will be set for some time in October, Bruns said.

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