Marion County State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth has dropped attempted murder and other charges pending against a 46-year-old Centralia man in connection with an April 2022 shooting.
Nathan Johnson had been charged with attempted murder and two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm in connection with the shooting of 30-year-old Laquisha ‘Qui Qui” Lockett of Centralia outside a home in the 900 block of East Kell. She was taken to SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital and later transferred to a St. Louis hospital for treatment of the gunshot wound to her face.
Hudspeth says he elected to nolle prosequi the charges, which would allow him to refile them in the future, as a result of lack of cooperation from Lockett. He says Lockett maintains she was mistaken in identifying Johnson when she made her first statement to police. Hudspeth says Lockett later told police she didn’t know who did it and the Johnson’s name was given to her by a person on the street.
Hudspeth says Lockett has moved out of state and told him she has put the shooting behind her and its now in God’s hands. He says without Lockett’s assistance, a conviction against Johnson is unlikely.
