State Paroles Johnston County Man Convicted Of 1994 Shooting Death

SMITHFIELD — A Johnston County man convicted of first-degree murder in a 1994 shooting death is scheduled to be released on parole.

The North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission has approved parole for Timothy Leonard Johnson, 56, under the Mutual Agreement Parole Program, known as MAPP. His parole release date is set for Feb. 2, 2026.

Johnson was convicted in 1995 in Johnston County Superior Court for the shooting death of Willie Gene Spence at the Bell Hope Trailer Park near Smithfield. He received a life sentence under sentencing laws in effect at the time.

Court records show the shooting occurred Aug. 1, 1994, following a confrontation between Johnson and Spence outside Spence’s vehicle. Prosecutors said Johnson fired once into the windshield as Spence attempted to drive away, then fired a second shot through the open driver’s side window. The vehicle rolled backward and struck a nearby mobile home, causing minor damage.

Johnston County deputy James McIver was the first officer to arrive and found Spence dead inside the vehicle. Investigators later recovered a replica firearm from Spence’s waistband that had not been fired.

During the 1995 trial, Johnson testified in his own defense, claiming Spence pointed a gun at him and that another man handed Johnson a firearm during the confrontation. A medical examiner testified Spence was shot in the head and chest, with the chest wound determined to be fatal.

Johnson appealed his conviction, arguing the trial court improperly allowed medical testimony and failed to provide adequate self-defense instructions to the jury. The North Carolina Supreme Court rejected those claims and upheld the conviction.

North Carolina’s Structured Sentencing law eliminated parole for crimes committed on or after Oct. 1, 1994. Offenders sentenced under earlier laws remain eligible for parole consideration.