Judge Jason Lamb last week delivered a 30-year prison sentence to a man accused in a Monroe County killing in 2020.
Judge Lamb presides over the 12th Circuit Court, which includes courtrooms in …
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Judge Jason Lamb last week delivered a 30-year prison sentence to a man accused in a Monroe County killing in 2020.
Judge Lamb presides over the 12th Circuit Court, which includes courtrooms in Audrain, Montgomery and Warren Counties. Lamb was given jurisdiction over the murder case in 2020 following a petition from the defendant to move the case out of Monroe County.
Jerry B. Asbell, 32, of Hannibal, was charged in September 2020 for the murder of Amanda Johnston, 32, of Monroe City. Johnston’s body was allegedly dumped in a Pike County ravine and was found after a multi-day search, according to the Hannibal Courier Post. Asbell is alleged to have shot Johnston at a Monroe City cemetery after receiving a ride in her car.
Last week, Asbell pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He had initially been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
Following the plea, Judge Lamb sentenced Asbell to 30 years in prison, with credit for the nearly two years that he has already been incarcerated, according to online court records.
The case was prosecuted by Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney Nicole D. Volkert.
One other person, Jessica Ellsworth, 39, of Monroe City, is charged with tampering with evidence for allegedly helping Asbell dispose of Johnston’s body. The charge against Ellsworth is pending trial in Monroe County Circuit Court.
