Lorain man to appear in Lorain County Common Pleas Court on Jan. 4 in connection to woman’s murder

The Lorain man accused of fatally shooting Milenna Lopez nearly two years ago is scheduled to appear in the Lorain County Common Pleas Court on Jan. 4 as court proceedings continue in the case.

James Lavern Kimbrough III, 36, is expected to attend the pretrial hearing in-person as he faces murder charges in the death of Lopez, who was 24 when she was killed Jan. 6 while at work at a McDonald’s restaurant in Sheffield Village.

Lopez was a mother of four children, two of whom Kimbrough fathered.

Lopez died from the shooting outside of McDonald’s while she was outside in her vehicle taking a break from work.

Police said Kimbrough fled after the shooting, and he remained on the area’s most wanted list until his capture.

On April 16, 2022, law enforcement apprehended Kimbrough at a Lorain apartment.

Kimbrough pleaded not guilty to an indictment issued May 13, 2022, by a Lorain County grand jury to one count of aggravated murder; three counts of murder charges, each with different legal specifications; two counts of felonious assault; tampering with evidence; having weapons while under disability and violation of a protection order, which all are felonies.

Kimbrough is facing a number of other charges in connection to the relationship between him and Lopez.

In 2021, Kimbrough was indicted on charges of aggravated burglary, kidnapping, endangering children and two counts of domestic violence.

In June 2022, a Lorain County grand jury handed down another indictment which included charges of burglary and criminal damaging or endangering.

The court decided earlier during proceedings to consolidate the three cases as Kimbrough prepares for trial.

The Jan. 4 hearing was scheduled to hear motions regarding the upcoming trial.

The court sent out questionnaires to prospective jurors late last year who were asked to return the information no later than Jan. 9.

Meanwhile, Kimbrough remains in the Lorain County Jail on a $2,035,000 bond, according to jail records.

He also is scheduled to appear in Lorain Municipal Court on Jan. 18 for a pretrial on several misdemeanor charges, including domestic violence, unlawful restraint, menacing and violating a protection order, stemming from incidents in 2021 with Lopez, jail and court records show.