Kriti Mehrotra
With A&E’s ‘Accused: Guilty or Innocent?: Jealous Killer or Fearful Victim’ delving deep into the case of Daniel Peek’s 2022 murder at the hands of John Morgan, we get a true insight into what transpired and why. John has always asserted he fired his weapon toward Daniel in self-defense after he and his son were beating him, but the fact Daniel had his back turned to him when he fired has made many wonder if he is guilty. There have been some, like his estranged wife, who believe in John’s utter guilt, and there are some, like his stepson, who believe in his utter innocence, only for his daughter Kaitlynn to be caught in the middle.
William Granger Has Followed in His Father Figure’s Footsteps to be a Good Family Man
William Granger was just 2 years old when his mother, Mary Morgan, first got together with John, only for the latter to take up the responsibility of helping raise him without any hesitancy. In fact, as per William’s account in the show, John has been such a constant in his life at every step of the way that he not only calls him dad but also asserts that they are more like best friends. The way John has always been there for him in good times and bad and how he always shows up for his loved ones, too, makes him feel like his dad really is his hero.
That’s why, when John was accused of murdering his estranged wife’s boyfriend outside of his own home, William couldn’t believe it. Then, upon hearing all the details, he understood the situation more and has since always supported him. In fact, he even met up with John in the days before his 2024 trial, promised to be there every day to show his support, and even testified to his character, asserting that he is a good man and had only been carrying a gun because of him being a victim of a drive-by shooting in 2021 and wanting to protect himself because of health issues.
As if that’s not enough, William even asserted that he is actually closer to his dad than his biological mother, Mary, because he has always made more of an effort to be in his life. Even his fiance, Lisa Markijohn, said that her first impression of John was that he is a “shy Teddy bear” and that he is a “very important person” in her partner, hers, and their kids’ lives as a grandparent. Therefore, they were heartbroken when he was convicted of manslaughter, murder, and assault, but they still did their best to keep in touch with him. As if their current standing, residing in Campbell, Ohio, William and Lisa are now proud parents of two kids, a daughter, and a son, to whom they seem to be devoting everything.
Kaitlynn Morgan Reportedly Got Caught in the Middle of Her Parents
As Mary and John’s biological daughter, Kaitlynn Morgan’s loyalty was divided between them from the moment they separated in 2019, but she still did her best to maintain both relationships. While she resided with Mary and her boyfriend, Daniel Peek, alongside her son, she spent most weekends spending quality time with her father. In fact, that’s what they planned to do on Sunday, July 31, 2022, too, which is why John was driving to Daniel’s place – to pick up his daughter and grandson for a family barbecue.
However, when Kaitlynn texted him to meet her at the end of the road instead, he simply told her he was nearly there and to meet at their scheduled spot only. But there, an altercation between Daniel and John ensued, which quickly escalated to such an extent that the former’s son soon became involved, too, and it ended with the latter pulling the trigger. Initially, Kaitlynn told police officials she believed her father acted in self-defense, only to later text loved ones that Daniel was not a good man and had been waiting for John to show up, all the while threatening him.
Because of this, the defense believed Kaitlynn was completely in support of John and would testify for him, but she ended up being a prosecutor’s attorney. During her testimony, she changed her story, indicated Daniel was a good man, and said that she didn’t see enough of what happened to give her opinion, only to later concede that she lied several times. It later came to light that she was worried about not having a roof over her head if she sided with her father, especially as she and her son still lived with her mom. From what we can tell, Kaitlynn still resides with Mary in Youthtown, Ohio.
Mary Morgan is Hoping to Move Forward Today
The entire animosity between John and Daniel started not because Mary moved on with the latter after leaving her husband in 2019 but because of a call. John had called her around 6 weeks prior to the 2022 incident to ask her address since he was planning to finally file for a divorce, yet she didn’t pick up. It was her boyfriend who called him back a mere moment later, just to get angry at him for calling, and that rage reportedly persisted as the weeks passed. So, when Daniel learned John was coming to pick up his daughter and grandson, he went to the porch to wait for him.
Mary didn’t see the initial few moments of the altercation between the two men, but she did step out while her boyfriend was dragging John away from the steps, only to then see him lifting his gun and firing. She rushed to her partner, and she still remembers how he fell to his knees and immediately began praying once he realized he had been hit straight in the chest. She testified to this in court during John’s 2024 trial, too, adding that John was a selfish man who took away the man who made her happy.
When she was cross-questioned by the defense, Mary conceded that she had made it clear to Kaitlynn that if she had defended her dad or spoken to his attorneys, she would no longer have a home. The fact she relied on her mother for financial and housing help made it clear that the jury did not receive the full picture of the young mother’s opinion, so it gave John hope. However, in the end, he was convicted, a decision Mary is happy about even if it doesn’t bring her closure because she would never get to be with Daniel in reality again. Since then, from what we can tell, the Youngstown, Ohio, resident has been focusing on moving on in life while keeping the memories of the man she lost alive in her heart.
Read More: Where is John Morgan Now?
