Johnnie Drummond, 43, of Norwood, N.J., who is accused of holding a woman hostage in her Montoursville home on February 10, 2026, before executing her in the early morning hours of the following morning will stand trial on homicide and related charges, District Judge Gary Whiteman ruled, following a preliminary hearing Thursday morning.

The incident began when Montoursville police arrived at 324 Jordan Ave., Apt. B around 8:20 p.m. on Feb. 10, to perform a welfare check on resident Jonette Crossley, 43, after she failed to show up to her place of employment.

At the time, Crossley was under the supervision of Adult Probation, and after hearing the call come over the radio, officers with the department arrived to assist with the welfare check.

Body camera footage played in court showed officers attempting to make contact with those inside the residence.

Around 9 p.m., officers can be heard announcing their presence after which a female voice is heard asking “what do you need. What can I help you with?”

“You’re on probation. Come outside,” one of the officers is heard yelling in the video, shortly after an indiscernible male voice is heard before a shot rings out.

Officers then called for a hostage negotiator as well as the SWAT team, according to court testimony.

Two separate 911 calls made by Crossley were played for the court in which she begs for police to leave the area, relating that she was in danger with their continued presence.

“There are cops at my house, and they need to back off or I’m going to get hurt,” she is heard telling the dispatcher in the first call that came in around 9:06 p.m.

“They are at the door and they keep knocking and I have a gun to my head,” she said in the call.

“He already shot one shot. If they don’t back off, he’s going to kill me,” she relates to the dispatcher before the call abruptly ends.

During a second call placed at 9:14 p.m., Crossley again states that she is “not okay.”

As the dispatcher states that police are unable to leave until they know she is alright, Crossley state that them being there there are only making things worse.

She further states that she has not been harmed as of yet, but that the doors and windows have all been barricaded.

“He’s going to take my life if they don’t leave,” she tells dispatch.

Despite being asking who is in the house with her, Crossley repeatedly said she was unable to give his name.

At approximately 1:45 a.m., made aware that negotiations were failing, the city police SRT team began attempting to make their way into the residence.

Utilizing a mechanical ram, an officer attempted to breach the front door, but found it to be barricaded by a motorcycle.

Upon the first strike of the ram, a shot was heard from inside the residence, with two more coming after the officer struck the door a second time.

Making their way into the residence, police found Crossley, actively bleeding, lying on top of Drummond in the bathtub, according to court testimony.

Crossley was described as looking “lifeless” by an officer who testified at the hearing.

Crossley was rushed to UPMC Williamsport, where she succumbed to her injuries three days later at around 1:58 a.m. on Saturday, February 14.

An autopsy report entered into evidence by First Assistant District Attorney Martin Wade concluded that Crossley had died from a gunshot wound to the neck and head, with blunt force injuries and a gunshot to the left hand being “significant contributing factors.”

Drummond was taken into custody without incident.

Within the residence, police recovered a magazine containing four 9mm rounds and two spent shell casings from within the bathtub, two live 9mm rounds and a SCCY CPX 9 mm pistol just outside of the bathroom door.

Two deformed projectiles were also recovered from the residence, one within the bathroom cabinet and one from the drywall between the front door and a window to its left.

A search of the firearm’s serial number matched that of a firearm reported stolen by Drummond’s ex-wife in January 2019.

Drummond was ordered to face an additional six counts of aggravated assault, two counts of recklessly endangering another person, two counts of intimidation of a victim, and one count each of terroristic threats, simple assault, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, retaliation against witness or victim, assault of law enforcement officer, illegal possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property, possession of an instrument of crime and flight to avoid apprehension.

A full story will follow.