CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A murder trial got underway Monday in Charleston for a man accused of killing a woman and dumping her body in a Kanawha County well.
Michael Smith is accused of killing Cheyenne Johnson, of Jackson County, in April 2021. Johnson, who was 35 at the time of her time, was found dead in a Sissonville well a few days after she went missing.
Smith faces several charges, which include first degree murder and concealment of a dead body.
A jury heard opening statements Monday, and the prosecution began making its case against Smith.
Smith’s girlfriend at the time, Virginia Smith, was involved in the murder. She pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and concealment of a dead body in 2023 and was sentenced to prison.