Judge sets bond for man facing obstruction charge in 5-year-old's murder

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - A judge set bond Friday for the man arrested on an obstruction of justice charge in the murder investigation of five-year-old Allison Griffor.

Shyrome Johnson was being held on a $200,000 bond Friday, the day after he was arrested in North Charleston.

At a Friday afternoon press conference, Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon identified three suspects in the girl's murder, saying Johnson provided investigators with the identities of the individuals. Assistant Sheriff Mitch Lucas said Johnson is also considered a suspect, though no one has been charged in her death.

According to an affidavit, Johnson is accused of "willfully, unlawfully and feloniously" providing false information to detectives in reference to the 5-year-old girl's shooting death.

The documents state Johnson was located by Charleston police during a traffic stop minutes after the shooting in the proximity of the shooting area.

Over the course of the investigation, detectives say Johnson was developed as a possible suspect and/or witness, and on Nov. 9, 2011, was interviewed in reference to the shooting. He told investigators at the time he had no knowledge of the incident.

On July 17, 2014, he was arrested on an unrelated charge in North Charleston and asked to meet with a Charleston County detective, the affidavit states. He then admitted to lying in earlier interviews, admitted he was in the vehicle near the scene when the shooting happened, and named several parties who were present, the documents state.

He also said he heard a gunshot a short time after the parties approached the Griffor home, and that he then ran from the vehicle, was picked up by the same parties, who were then stopped by Charleston police in the traffic stop, the affidavit states.

Griffor was five years old on Oct. 25, 2011 when bullets came through the front door of her family's West Ashley home in the middle of the night.

The girl's father, William Griffor, who was also wounded, told deputies he and his wife heard someone kicking at the door around 1 a.m. Police say when he walked toward the front door, the intruder opened fire. One of the shotgun pellets hit Allison and she died in the hospital several days later.

The family was new to the area and had only lived in the home for about three months at the time of the shooting, according to their landlord.

"I've been in this business for a long time and I've seen a lot of terrible and tragic events. This is right at the top of the list," Sheriff Cannon said at the time.

The Griffor family issued a public statement about their daughter after her death which read, in part:

Allison was an amazing person with a silly, fun, bubbly, loving life all around her with a passion that seems to be unrivaled by any that we have ever experienced. She was a fierce friend. Whenever her friends fell down she would rush to their aid to make sure they were okay.

She was a leader, an artist. She would sit for periods of time and color with a seriousness of a doctor in surgery. She was an awesome sister to her two brothers and always did everything with them.

She would ride Lucas' tricycle around the house playing tag with Aidan and Lucas. I will forever see her corky poses and smiles in my mind's eye. Every time I came home from work each day, I am always greeted with her huge smile and yelling,'Daddy's home,' with excitement and she's quickly followed by the boys.

She would give these hugs that you felt in your soul, just encompassing you in her full love.

We will always remember Allison for the beautiful person that she is. She has went to be with the Lord. But she will forever be the biggest part of all of us.

We are grateful for the five short years the Lord has blessed with us. We look forward to being greeted with a hug when we are finally reunited.

One week after the Griffor murder, Charleston police arrested three men in connection with an armed robbery at the Pierpont pub which is just around the corner from the Griffor's house. A shotgun was recovered. Cannon later said it was possible those suspects could be connected to the Griffor case, but so far no connection has been made.

Since Allison's death, the Griffor family has moved to another state.

No one has been directly charged with Griffor's murder.

If you have any information on the case you are asked to call the sheriff's office at (843) 202-1700 or Crime Stoppers at (843) 554-1111.

Copyright 2015 WCSC. All rights reserved.