Inside a Cuyahoga County courtroom this week, a bench trial is grinding through the gritty details of the killing of 23-year-old Michelle Arnold, as prosecutors lay out their case against defendant Joseph Byron Littlejohn.
Littlejohn has pleaded not guilty and has been in custody since January 2024 on related matters. Prosecutors were expected to wrap up their witnesses today, while the judge hears a steady stream of testimony and legal arguments.
According to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, investigators discovered Arnold’s remains on June 3, 2024, in the backyard of a vacant property near Strathmore and Hayden avenues in East Cleveland after an anonymous tip. Court filings state the discovery followed execution of a search warrant and months of investigative work that pulled together DNA, phone records, and witness interviews to connect a suspect to the scene.
Investigators also searched Littlejohn’s home after it burned on Feb. 9, 2024, and recovered blood in the basement that later matched Arnold. A later search on Nov. 22, 2024, of a vehicle once owned by Littlejohn’s mother turned up both Arnold’s and Littlejohn’s DNA in the trunk, as reported by News 5 Cleveland.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury returned an indictment on Feb. 14, 2025, charging Littlejohn with one count of aggravated murder and several related felonies, including murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, gross abuse of a corpse, and having weapons while under disability, according to the prosecutor’s release. Littlejohn has pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains behind bars as the case moves forward.
The bench trial is being heard by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Lauren Moore. Cleveland 19 reports prosecutors were expected to finish calling witnesses today. Testimony so far has focused on how investigators recovered evidence and tied records and DNA to the case.
Legal Implications
The aggravated-murder count is the most serious charge and, under the Ohio Revised Code, can be punished by death or life imprisonment. As outlined in court filings, the additional counts, including gross abuse of a corpse and aggravated robbery, carry substantial additional prison time if Littlejohn is convicted.
What’s Next
Once prosecutors rest their case, the defense is expected to present its side before Judge Moore decides the verdict in this bench trial. The court has not yet set a date for closing arguments or a potential sentencing hearing, according to Cleveland 19.
