A former Nashville resident indicted this month on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child neglect and aggravated child abuse in connection with the January 2020 death of his two-week-old daughter was taken into custody today at a Stanford, Kentucky hospital where he was awaiting the birth by his girlfriend of another child.
Johnathon Lemons, 25, who formerly lived at a Wallace Road apartment, is charged in the death of Harmony Lemons, who died on January 6, 2020 at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital from a severe brain injury. The medical examiner determined the cause of death as blunt head trauma.
Investigation by Youth Services Detective (now Sergeant) Steve Carrick revealed that Harmony was in the sole custody of Johnathon Lemons on the night she began showing symptoms. Initially, Lemons told Detective Carrick that he did not cause the injury and was certain there had been no accidents. About a week later, Lemons requested a second interview during which he claimed to have tripped and dropped Harmony onto a carpeted floor.
Lemons is presently on parole for an attempted first-degree murder conviction in Knox County. West Precinct Community Field Intelligence Team (CFIT) detectives today contacted his parole officer in an attempt to serve the new indictment and learned that Lemons had moved to Macon County. While doing further checking, they determined him to be at the Stanford, Kentucky hospital. Authorities there took Lemons into custody as a fugitive from Tennessee. His return to Nashville is expected in the near future.
