A murder investigation finally gained some traction earlier this month, but the suspects have been revealed — and their identities are as shocking as the crime itself.
Last year, a Kansas family found their 93-year-old matriarch Joanne Johnson brutally murdered in her Augusta home over Labor Day weekend. And for the last year, the senseless and vile crime has terrified local residents, including Joanne’s son. At the time, he released a statement remembering the late 93-year-old:
“The situation is inexplicable, no different than getting struck by lightning on a cloudless day. The family has no words, or ability to understand what has happened. We would refer any questions on the investigation to the Augusta DPS, who we believe to this point are pursuing this with incredible professionalism, compassion, and effort.”
Fast-forward to May of this year, investigators still didn’t really have an explanation for the senseless crime. So Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued an executive order offering $5,000 to anyone who would come forward with information that would help lead to an arrest. Joanne’s family matched the reward, totaling $10,000. And finally this month, the case hit a breakthrough… A stomach-dropping one.
Related: Arkansas Mom Admits Boyfriend Drowned Her Son In Toilet & Buried Him Under Floorboards
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation announced on Thursday that two 14-year-old girls also from Augusta were arrested and charged with first-degree murder directly in connection with Joanne’s death. Because they are minors, the teen suspects were not publicly named, but the KBI revealed they are being held at separate juvenile detention centers and that the investigation is ongoing. KBI Communications Director Melissa Underwood said that despite the reward money, as of now, no “public tip or information helped to solve the case.”
After learning of the arrests, Joanne’s family told 12 News they thought the punishment for such a horrific crime should be severe.
However, one of the young girl’s fathers has spoken out. And he maintains it WASN’T the teens who committed the heinous crime!
While speaking with KAKE over the weekend, the unnamed parent said he sat with his daughter while she was interviewed by police. According to him, the teen told cops she and her friend were walking in a local park last year when a white man approached them and “coerced” them into accompanying him to Joanne’s home. The teen allegedly claimed it was the mystery man who grabbed an ax from the elderly woman’s garage and butchered her. The teen claimed she held her hands over her friend’s ears to prevent her from hearing the grisly murder. According to the father, the man then told the young girls he’d kill them and their families if they ever told anyone what they saw — and that since then, the girls have never been the same.
But it doesn’t sound like the KBI are even looking for this mystery man. Underwood claimed the bureau is still working to identify “a relationship between the accused female subjects and Joanne Johnson.” Meanwhile, Augusta Public Schools Superintendent Matt Ward issued the following statement:
“The district has been made aware of Augusta Public Safety Department’s announcement regarding an ongoing investigation involving two Augusta minors who are part of a current law enforcement investigation. While the school district is not involved in this investigation, we will cooperate fully with law enforcement if the need arises. News like this can be difficult, but I want to stress that the incident under investigation took place nearly one year ago, away from school. It did not take place on district property, and nobody from our school was placed in harm’s way at any time.”
He continued:
“Because the law enforcement investigation is ongoing, the investigation involves minors, and it is not a district matter, it would be inappropriate for district staff to comment further. If you have any concerns about how this news might affect your student, please contact your school for support. Thank you for your partnership as we work together to make our schools a safe, positive place for learning.”
We hope whoever does turn out to be responsible for this horrid crime is brought to justice.
[Image via Kansas Bureau of Investigation/Facebook]