A peaceful community in Augusta, Kansas was marred by a heinous crime on Labor Day weekend of 2023 (September 2-3). Joanne Johnson, a 93-year-old great-grandmother, was tragically killed in her home in a cruel and brutal attack that left the residents shocked.
Almost a year later, on August 15, 2024, investigators revealed a shocking detail: a pair of 14-year-old girls were apprehended and charged with first-degree murder tied to Johnson’s death. The accused, who were just 13 when the alleged crime occurred, are now held at separate juvenile detention centers.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) reported that Johnson was killed in an extreme hatchet attack. The severity of the attack was such that upon discovering the body, Johnson’s son was unable to identify his mother. “If we hadn’t seen her tennis shoes, I wouldn’t have recognized who she was,” he stated.
The motive behind the murder remains a mystery. The investigators did not find any proof of theft, indicating that Johnson was not targeted for her belongings. The absence of an obvious motive has left law enforcement and the community grappling with the senseless nature of the crime.
Johnson’s family remembered her as a compassionate person who always showed interest in others and had a knack for remembering details about their lives. Her obituary noted that she was a dedicated Kansas University Jayhawks basketball fan and took immense pride in her five grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The case proved to be a significant challenge for investigators. It required nearly a year of rigorous investigation, several interviews, analysis of numerous pieces of physical evidence, and execution of multiple search warrants before arrests were made. According to Melissa Underwood, Communications Director for the KBI, the breakthrough in the case was achieved without any direct public tips or information that led to solving the crime.
The victim’s son described the incident as a senseless and brutal act of murder in a serene residential area of their small town.
The case has brought up complex legal issues due to the age of the suspects. Kansas law stipulates that juveniles under 14 cannot be prosecuted as adults. Therefore, if convicted, the maximum sentence the girls could receive would confine them in juvenile detention facilities until they turn 22 and a half years old.
Johnson’s family is advocating for the suspects to be tried as adults, given the sheer brutality of the crime. They argue that the juvenile justice system’s maximum penalties are inadequate considering the magnitude of the crime. Tim Johnson, the victim’s son, stresses the need to balance the grim nature of the murder with the fact that the suspects are juveniles. The family is seeking a legal interpretation that would allow for adult prosecution despite the age restrictions typically in place.
The case has drawn attention from state officials. In April 2024, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly issued an executive order offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the resolution of the case. The Johnson family matched this amount, raising the total reward to $10,000. However, the KBI stated that the arrests were not due to any public tips or reward-related information.
As the news of the arrests circulated, a man claiming to be the father of one of the suspects provided a different narrative to a local news station. According to him, his daughter claimed that she and her friend were coerced by a man in a park to go to Johnson’s house, where he retrieved a rusty axe from the garage and committed the murder in front of the girls.
The father recounted that his daughter covered her friend’s ears to protect her from the sounds of the attack. He also claimed that the man threatened to kill the girls and their families if they revealed what had transpired. Official sources have not confirmed or commented on these claims, and the investigation continues.
Both teenagers have entered a plea of not guilty. Their next court date is set for October 31.
