Woman charged with murder in Macon robbery gone wrong gets plea deal
Macon prosecutors dismissed a murder charge last week against a woman who agreed to plead guilty to a lesser offense due to the circumstances of a fatal altercation that she was part of, according to court records.
Jada Simone Johnson, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault on June 26 in exchange for a felony murder charge being dismissed, court records show. Her case stems from a shooting at the Walnut Hill Apartments near Gray Highway in January 2023, where Waymond Danzy died and another man was injured, according to the indictment.
She was charged with aggravated assault because she acted “together and as parties to the crime” with Danzy in the shooting, according to the indictment. In addition to the murder charge being dismissed, another count of aggravated assault and two counts of possessing a gun during the commission of a felony were dropped too.
Details of a robbery gone wrong
Johnson’s attorneys, Jeff Banks and Sarah Riedel, told The Telegraph Wednesday that Johnson engaged in sex work and Danzy was her “pimp.” On the night of the incident, on Jan. 20, 2023, Danzy ordered Johnson to contact a former client of hers to rob him. Even though Danzy had a gun, the client who showed up had a gun as well, which led to a fight between the two men, according to the attorneys.
Danzy died after being shot in the chest around 11:30 p.m.
Because Johnson was working for Danzy, she “didn’t have a whole lot of options” but to follow Danzy’s orders, Riedel told The Telegraph. Banks also told The Telegraph that the prosecutors were “compassionate enough” to let Johnson plead to a lesser charge in her indictment.
As a result of the plea agreement, Johnson will serve five years in prison, followed by 15 years of probation, court records show.
District Attorney Anita Howard said Wednesday that “justice takes many forms.” Even though the incident led to the death of Danzy, and the district attorney’s office always seeks appropriate consequences for criminal conduct, “Ms. Johnson’s cooperation with investigators and her willingness to accept accountability demonstrated the kind of responsibility that justice requires,” she said.
The ability for prosecutors to prove guilt for Johnson’s felony murder charge was insurmountable, considering alleged sexual assault, robbery, questions of self-defense by third parties and significant witness cooperation issues, which led to the resolution. It also considered Johnson’s lack of a criminal history, the evidentiary challenges the prosecutor’s faced and it “serves the interests of justice while ensuring public safety,” Howard said.
“Our office extends condolences to the family of Waymond Danzy and acknowledges the tragic circumstances that led to this outcome,” Howard said.
This story was originally published July 3, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
