James M. Johnson pleaded guilty to the murder of Milo Warnock, meaning the trial scheduled to begin Feb. 3 has been canceled and Johnson faces a possible sentence of life in prison. Johnson had previously pleaded not guilty in October.
Warnock, 45, was a 1996 Lewiston High School graduate who died after being assaulted Dec. 10, 2023, at the Idaho State Correctional Institution in Kuna. Warnock was serving a 2-10-year sentence for a felony DUI charge. He had been sent to the maximum security part of the prison after an issue with his medication resulted in an infraction.
Johnson, who was Warnock’s cellmate, beat him to death in their cell. Johnson, 33, was indicted Aug. 28, 2024 by a grand jury for first-degree murder and destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence, both felonies, according to court documents…