24. Teenage Trouble: Sarah Johnson's Shocking Murders

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Stephanie (00:30):
All right, Danny, so let's just jump right into it.
Welcome back to another episodeof The Lethal Library.
I'm Stephanie.
I'm Danny.
And we're here to have Dannytell us another story of true
crime in Idaho.
Spoiler alert.
I hear that this time.
It's a lady So underrepresenteddemographic getting the

(00:52):
spotlight today.

Dani (00:53):
Yes, ma'am.
Parents will make a teenager'slife uncomfortable sometimes
it's necessary.
Yeah.
In a beautiful, upscale home.
Someone thought she was aprincess and could do what she
wanted.
She sounds like a spoiledfucking brat to me.

(01:17):
You know, they're, they're outthere.
Mm-hmm.
sources used today, are articlesfrom The Times News, and that
bitch, the Idaho Statesman, loveher.
On October 2nd, 2003 inBellevue, Idaho at 6 25 in the
morning, 16-year-old SarahJohnson ran out of her house

(01:39):
looking for help.
She arrived at her neighbor'scrying and the neighbor called 9
1 1.
She had awoken to two gunshotblasts, and when she called out
to her parents, they didn'trespond.
Alan Johnson, age 46 and DianeJohnson, 52 were found shot in
their home.

(01:59):
Diane was found in her bed andAlan was found on the bedroom
floor.
He had apparently been taking ashower when he was shot.
Yikes.
Both died from a single shotfrom a rifle.
Police did not see any signs offorce entry to the home.

(02:19):
Four weeks after the murders,still no arrests have been made.
Hmm.
Police know the murder weaponcame from a guest house on the
property.
Oh.
Hmm.
But the man who lived there wasnot even in town at the time of
the murders.
The authorities are trying tofigure out who would've known
where to find the guns.

(02:41):
Don't be suspicious.
Uh, little.
Sidestep.
you remember the story on DeniseWilliams?
Yeah.
Where the sheriff was like.
He didn't tell the coroner.

Stephanie (02:55):
Yes.

Dani (02:55):
Right.
Remember?
And then he had a differentpathologist, uh, do all the
stuff a mess.
Same thing here.
The coroner Mike, uh, RussMickel, was not allowed to do
the autopsies of the bodies.
Blaine County Sheriff, WaltFleming would not allow it.
Fleming removed the bodies andhad them taken to a Boise

(03:16):
pathologist.
Which is not a good

Stephanie (03:19):
look, dude.
No.
Like especially like you haveyour town or your county mm-hmm.
That you're in and it's a little

Dani (03:25):
town and it's like this is above your pay grade.

Stephanie (03:29):
But yeah, like you could bring in someone for a
second opinion or to assist, butthat's a bad look if that's your
job.
And they're like, yeah, we don'ttrust you.
We're not, you're not.
We're gonna get it to the realfirst.
Do not even

Dani (03:42):
be looking at these bodies.
Thank you.
Crazy.
On October 29th, the daughter ofAlan and Diane was arrested and
charged with two counts ofmurder in church, scandalous,
and she's held on a$2 millionbond.
Six 16-year-old Johnson had beenstaying with her aunt in the

(04:04):
Caldwell area since thememorial.
It took 57 days for an arrest,but the sheriff wanted to make
sure all the evidence wasprocessed correctly before
making any arrests.
Fair?

Stephanie (04:15):
Yeah.

Dani (04:16):
It was their 16-year-old daughter.

Stephanie (04:19):
Yeah, make sure all your ducks are in a row, because
I wonder how that works.
'cause you're not even supposedto be able to interview minors
without their parents in mostcases, but.
That's a whole nother bag ofworms.
Yep.
Can of worms.
Bag of worms.
I like it.
Let's just, you don't wantunexpected worms anywhere.
No, let's just say that.

Dani (04:40):
But I feel like a bag of worms is way bigger than a can
of worms.
So gross.
Hmm.
Blood was found on a glove thatmatched Johnson's DNA.
The glove was found wrapped in abathrobe that also had Diane's
blood on it.

(05:01):
Her mother Johnson had a bruisedleft shoulder that you'll see,
uh, from a recoil of a rifle.
Yikes.

Stephanie (05:13):
You know, especially if you're not a experienced yeah
person.
That'll get you every time.

Dani (05:21):
Oh, that she, yeah.
How did authorities even startto suspect the daughter was the
murderer?
Just a few days before Johnsonhad not returned home on the
night of August 29th, she wasfound by her parents the
following day at her boyfriend'shouse.

Stephanie (05:40):
Uh oh.

Dani (05:41):
Bruno Santos was 19, and Alan and Diane were very upset
that they were dating, that hewas dating their 16-year-old
daughter.
Understandably.
Mm-hmm.
They plan to go to lawenforcement for an investigation
into statutory rape after theholiday weekend was over.

Stephanie (05:58):
Yikes.
They're like, just wait untilthis holiday weekend and we're
gonna see what the police haveto say about this.
Yeah.

Dani (06:06):
Oh, no.
Mm-hmm.
Oopsie.
Yeah.
Alan and Diane also took awayJohnson's driving privileges,
but she's, she still attendedvolleyball practice the evening
before the murders, so they'relike, you're not driving
anywhere, but you have to go toVal volleyball.
Like, I can totally picture thisscenario like, you're fucking

(06:28):
grounded.
Your life is over.
But you have to go to volleyballpractice.
Yeah.

Stephanie (06:34):
I think I've been there as a teenager and maybe
even had to enforce stuff likethat.
Yeah.
Which I'm sure you have as well.

Dani (06:40):
Yeah.
Sorry about shit.
Life is miserable.
Go cry to your friends atpractice.
Well, and at least you stillhave an activity

Stephanie (06:49):
other

Dani (06:50):
than

Stephanie (06:50):
being home

Dani (06:55):
on the morning of the killings.
Johnson went to the rental houseon the property and removed a 2
64 caliber rifle.
Mm.
Lemme just tell you, I leanedinto dad for this.
I called him during my researchand I'm like, am I saying it
right?
Well, and I don't know because IGoogled it and, and it said you

(07:18):
could, some people take, sayit's a 2 6 4 or a point.
2, 6, 4.
Um, but my dad said it was a 264 caliber, 2 64 caliber.
Thanks.
I'm going with

Stephanie (07:34):
dad.
Thanks dad.
Because really we're not, we'renot the experts on that.
We've been around guns.
We don't know all the dets ofeverything.

Dani (07:42):
I love my dad so much, so he's like, I bet he was

Stephanie (07:44):
excited to chat about it.
Oh

Dani (07:46):
no, he was very, and'cause I wanted to know, I wanted to
know how to say this and I alsowant to know.
What size of bullet that wouldbe?
Yeah, because I know what a 45looks like, or a 30, like
they're tiny near, but I Googledthe image of this size bullet,
and it was like one of the, it'sthe longer one.

(08:06):
Ooh, they're almost three and ahalf inches long.
Is it like a hunting rifle?
Yeah, it's a hunting rifle.
Okay.
I'm seeing the picture here.
Um, and according to dad.
The 2 64 Winchester's a damngood hunting rifle.
Alright.
Got taste I guess.
Thank you.
Guest house, man.
But yeah, dad was so excited.

(08:27):
He goes, well you wanna comeover here?
I'll show you one

Stephanie (08:33):
for

Dani (08:33):
your research.
Honey, do you, do you wanna setone on the desk

Stephanie (08:36):
or you wanna hold it?
Let's go shoot it.
You can feel

Dani (08:39):
that recoil.
I got a whole, I got a wholebook too.
I can tell you all about it.
He did show me, by the way, lastnight, his book and Hell yeah.
The little, all the littlethings about

Stephanie (08:49):
it.
Anyway, thanks for coming in onthe clutch.
We needed, we needed aprofessional.
Yeah.
Is what we needed.
Thanks

Dani (08:54):
dad.
The sheriff said Johnson wasangry and defiant after her
arrest.
Oh, a pissed off teenager

Stephanie (09:02):
And getting arrested too.
She's already been grounded.
I.
Clutch your pearls.
Now she's in cuffs.

Dani (09:10):
Johnson pleads not guilty on two counts of first degree
murder and she's being tried asan adult.
Yikes.
She showed no emotion while inthe courtroom and while waiting
her trial.
Johnson had some family visit,but not brother Matt nor

(09:31):
boyfriend Bruno.
Bruno,

Stephanie (09:35):
where are you at?
You didn't want to come down tothe courthouse since you're 19
and your 16-year-old girlfriendis there.
You didn't wanna come and checkin?

Dani (09:44):
Well, I think he was, uh, a little, he was out of town.
He was busy that day.
He was, no, he really was outtatown.
I don't know what the date is

Stephanie (09:53):
for the court, but I'm busy that day.

Dani (09:55):
Actually, he was out of the country for a little bit.
Oh shit.
So just hang on.

Stephanie (10:02):
Indisposed.

Dani (10:04):
Definitely indisposed.
A gag order was issued by JudgeJames J.
May.
Judge may stress that this isnot for the media, but for the
prosecution, defense and theSheriff's Department, shut the
fuck up

Stephanie (10:20):
everyone.
Shut your fucking mouths.
Thank you.

Dani (10:24):
Uh, public defender.
Bob Ping Burn was pissed aboutSheriff Fleming's public
comments about the case inparticular, the motive.
Fleming explained to the mediathat Alan had a$450,000 life
insurance policy.
He's just like, let me just tellyou what's going on here.
This girl killed her parents formoney, and so she could be with

(10:46):
her boyfriend like he was justspilling all the juice.

Stephanie (10:49):
That's not a good strategy for the prosecutor
either.

Dani (10:53):
Exactly.
You don't need to show all yourcards, and Fleming was sh I'm
gonna tell you.
He is all about publicity.
So he was, there's severalepisodes of like, they're
snapped and a 20, 20 and aDateline.
I did not watch them.
I was going to, but it's sodramatic.

(11:15):
It just, it's a

Stephanie (11:15):
different, different.
Well, and it sometimes taintshow you wanna tell a story,
right?
So we might watch them after,and if we don't get stuff that
the shows get, okay.
But we.
I know that Danny doesn't liketo do that for her research,
which I understand.
Um, and I don't do it.
You don't know Dick Bird outthere.
Yeah.
Do you guys know about DickBird?
If not, look it up.
It's, it's, it's a something.

(11:37):
Richard Bird.

Dani (11:38):
Yeah.
From Winnemucca?

Stephanie (11:41):
Yes.
And it happened on nine 11 of2001, so no one had ever heard
of him.
And you know, go check it out.
Check out the podcasts aboutthat.
Yeah.
And you'll understand.
Why we don't want too manyoutside influences.

Dani (11:56):
No, because it can go bad and it has went bad for other
podcasters.
So yeah.
just the facts, ma'am.
And I read papers, so, butanyway, he was just spilling,
they were spilling guts.
They were, and no point to it.
No.
beneficial Life Company askedthe Fifth Judicial Court to

(12:18):
withhold$225,000 of that deathbenefit of the claim, which was
Johnson's portion of the policy.
'cause it was split 50 50between her and her brother,
Matt already received hisportion.
So the Beneficial Life Committeeis like, uh.

(12:41):
If she's being accused ofmurdering her parents.
Let's just

Stephanie (12:44):
take a pause on that.
Sure.
Matt, you're, you're good to go.
Um, we're gonna wait on theother though.

Dani (12:52):
Mm-hmm.
Bruno Santos is deported toMexico in September.
Oh, no.
Unavailable.
but was quickly brought back sothat he can testify in the case.
So like, oh no, just jk.
Uh.

Stephanie (13:05):
Actually, sorry.
If you would, can you just comeback just for a quick bit just
to Yeah, just to sit.
Thank you.
Thanks.
Sorry.
Thank you so much.
We rushed

Dani (13:13):
to judgment and just said, oh, you're undocumented by, no,
we actually need you.
So yeah, maybe

Stephanie (13:18):
they should have had these ducks in a row.
'cause imagine how hard it is toget someone back for this
reason.
Are you kidding me?
That's'cause like, sure.
'cause he did come back.
Well, thanks Bruno.

Dani (13:30):
The prosecution and the defense team are at each other's
throats.
I They hate each other.
Ooh.
And you're gonna just, they arefighting.

Stephanie (13:40):
The girls are fighting.
This is like some reality TVshit.
I love.
The girls are

Dani (13:43):
fighting.
The defense is asking whyJohnson was transferred from
Blaine County jail to a burleylockup for a week, and then
Johnson was moved because shehad told a fellow inmate
incriminating facts about themurder.
So like, you can't be with her.
attorney Bob Ping Burn saidJohnson had made no such
statement.

(14:04):
So this is all out in thepublic.
They're like, she's, uh, madeincriminating statements to a
fellow inmate, and then attorneyBob's like, no, she didn't.
This is all just being pukedout.

Stephanie (14:19):
Yeah.
This should not be being done inthe press.
This is all courtroom stuff.
I mean, it's nice if you'refollowing a case because you're
like, I wanna know.
Of course it's very juicy, butit doesn't really benefit anyone
like.
As far as s, it benefits us, butthat's it.
Right, exactly.

Dani (14:42):
In 2004, defense attorney Bob is asking for Johnson's
statements that were made theday of the murder be
inadmissible.
He said Johnson was under theinfluence of a sleeping pill a
neighbor had given her thatmorning'cause she was so
overwhelmed.
Okay.

(15:03):
Prosecutor Thomas said she wasprobably tired because she was
up all night planning herparents' murder.
You know, this is her, or thisis why they hated each other.
This is all public comments,like what are they doing?
Like, no, she's not tired fromthe sleeping pills.
She was tired because she was upall night planning her parents'

(15:24):
murders.
Attorney Bob states that she wasimproperly questioned and
ignored her rights to anattorney on September 3rd and
September 12th.
Sheriff Fleming said she agreedto speak without an attorney
quote.
She said she had an attorney andshe said he told her not to talk
to us.

(15:45):
I said she could have him here,but I asked her if she'd just
like to clear this up and catchwhoever did, whoever did this,
and she said yes.
Well.
In a motion filed in October,attorney Bob said that Johnson
is wrongly beaten, kept insolitary confinement.
Oh no.
And he is asked that she beimmediately removed.

(16:05):
So these are small counties,small jails over there, and.
Even though she's being chargedas an adult, she's still 16
slash 17.
Right?
Right.
So by law they have to keep heraway from other, it's, it's some
drama.
Yeah.
Johnson had been moved fromBlaine County Jail to the mini

(16:27):
cashier jail to make room foranother defendant that was
scheduled for a hearing.
Mini cashier does not have aseparate facility to keep
Johnson away from adult inmates,which is required by law.
And this is why she was insolitary.
That's how tiny this gel is.
Yeah.
Like, oh, we have somebody elsecoming in, uh, for a hearing, so

(16:49):
we gotta move you.
So

Stephanie (16:52):
attorney Bob was pissed.
He was chasing around his, hewas passed,

Dani (16:58):
where's my

Stephanie (16:58):
client?

Dani (17:00):
In November, attorney Bob revealed in court proceedings
that boyfriend Santos remains asuspect and has committed crimes
recently.

Stephanie (17:10):
Oh, Bruno Santos, what were you out here doing?

Dani (17:14):
Well, he just got back.
He's feeling good in a separatehearing.
The same day Santos was in frontof a judge on charges of having
controlled substances.
Oh gosh, this is not good.
You know, kind of part.
Part of me thinks that he waslike, they want me here.

(17:35):
Fuck it.
Let's go.
Yeah, I'm gonna do what I want.

Stephanie (17:37):
Full vacation.

Dani (17:38):
They're not gonna deport me.
They need me.
They need me.
Yeah.
Prosecutor Thomas asked forSantos to be held so he can
testify in Johnson's trial.
They're like, oh, okay, well nomore going back to your mama's
apartment.
You're on lockdown.
Santos was facing chargesresulting from 17 grams of meth.

(17:58):
Police found in his possessionon October 30th.
Yikes.
And I have no idea if that's alot or not.
Is it?
I think it's a lot.
Is 17 grams a lot?
I think it's a lot.
We go waste some flour on myscale in the kitchen.
Let's get out the kitchen scale.
We need to see a visual on thisattorney.

(18:19):
Bob is asking to examine thegloves and the robe.
The prosecution was claimingthat Johnson wore the night she
murdered her parents.
He said there's a vastdifference between the evidence
the defense is allowed toexamine and what is allowed to
be admitted as evidence.
Johnson's Aunt Linda Vivo.
Hope I said that right.
Linda said, during a a hearing,she suspected Johnson had

(18:45):
committed the murders attorney.
Bobs asked her when she changedher mind.
'cause at first Auntie Linda waslike, oh, come live with me.
I'll take care of you.
Poor thing.
but Linda said it was a gradualmind change for her.
She had thought Santos committedthe murders in earlier
testimony, so she did not thinkit was her beautiful bratty

(19:12):
fucking niece.

Stephanie (19:13):
No,

Dani (19:15):
it was the 19-year-old boy.
Sure.
So we are now in 2005, inJanuary, 2005, fifth District
Judge Barry Wood moved the trialto Boise where an ADA county
jury will hear the case.
The trial is scheduled to starton February 7th and is expected

(19:37):
to last six to eight weeks.
Damn Biggin.
and attorney Bob is on it.
He said it was unlikely to findan unbiased jury in Blaine
County based on the results froma questionnaire sent to
potential jurors since December.
Like now we, yeah, we know allabout this.
We want the ADA County jury.
Thank you.

(19:58):
that's why Kohlberg's down heretoo.
Yeah.
Exact same reason.
Blaine County prosecutor, JimThomas said he was down for the
ADA County jurors, but he wantedthe trial to stay in Blaine
County.
It's all about the money, money,money.
Yeah, it is.
And this is because, and alsothis is because of all the

(20:18):
trouble.
It'll cause he will have toissue new subpoenas to appear in
Boise for witnesses plus lodgingfor not only the witnesses but
for all the county officials.
And just to kind of give you anidea, Blaine County's population
was around 21,000 people in2003.
And we don't have littlecounties here in Idaho.

(20:41):
They're large.
They're large.
And this was very prominent intheir news.
And so everybody knew aboutthis.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's why those questionnairesare like, Nope, this is not,
you're not gonna find this isn'tlooking good.
And, uh, you know, you don'twant a mistrial because of that.
But also it does these little,like they are doing tax levies

(21:05):
to cover these kind of trials.
Mm-hmm.
It's a big deal.
I'd be pissed and it probably, Idon't, I've never had that come
across here.
Probably be pissed if I had topay an extra$125 because some
asshole went and did a murder.
Went and did a murder

Stephanie (21:24):
just to make sure they were convicted and off the

Dani (21:26):
streets.

Stephanie (21:26):
Do not murder in our town.
Boom.

Dani (21:29):
The trial begins on February 8th.
In opening statements, theprosecution showed a gruesome
crime scene.
Johnson's now 18, by the way.
She growed up.
She's an adult now.
Prosecutor Thomas said quote,this case is not about an
unknown killer.
This case is about evidence leftbehind by Sarah Marie Johnson.

(21:55):
He stated, evidence will includea bullet impact in the bedroom,
shower stall, footprints in thegrass.
An inconsistent statement spamade by Johnson.
A hunting rifle on the floor ofthe master bedroom was found
with a crucifix on top of itthat had fallen from the wall.

(22:17):
That's

Stephanie (22:18):
wild.

Dani (22:18):
I seen the pictures.
It's creepy.

Stephanie (22:22):
And didn't you say that the parents were very
religious?

Dani (22:25):
Yeah, very religious.
He also said a lot of evidencewas in that, in those trash cans
that were scheduled to be pickedup that morning, they yanked
them

Stephanie (22:35):
right back.
Oh, can you imagine if you wereat the scene and you were the
killer and seen them yankedback, like, ha, shucks, damnit.
And I wouldn't have got awaywith it too, if it wasn't for
those pesky officers.
You're just like, well, sorry.
Not my,

Dani (22:51):
not my pink robe.
Oh.
Um.
'cause as the garbage truckapproached the home that
morning, police grabbed thebands and pulled them behind the
yellow police tape, like yankthe truck was coming.
She's like,

Stephanie (23:06):
oh, come on, come on, come on.
Good thinking.
I mean, because I could totallypicture.
A whoopsie happening.
I'm sure something like that'shappened before where they're
like, you didn't see the trashcans out front that Yeah.
They're already on the way tothe landfill.

Dani (23:20):
Sorry.

Stephanie (23:20):
Good luck.

Dani (23:21):
Smoke.
I think they might have foundsome shit, but not as good.
You probably could have Yeah.
But not as good of, because alsofound in the trash can was a,
blood spattered pink ropewrapped inside of that robe were
bullet casings.

(23:42):
Oh.
Oh.
Opie also found in the trashcans were pregnancy test.
This is getting really evidence.
Yeah.
Well, she's a, she's a stupid16-year-old, that thinks they
know everything.
Yeah.
Thomas said that this was proofthat Johnson and Santos had a

(24:03):
sexual relationship that herparents didn't prove of.
Obviously if she thought she waspregnant, you know,

Stephanie (24:10):
such a weird thing that she wrapped the bullet
casings in the robe and put themthere, but left the gun.

Dani (24:17):
What's the point?
Well, because she was wearingthose fucking gloves, sis.

Stephanie (24:22):
I'm, I'm gonna get away with it.
I got these rubber gloves justfor the occasion.
Nobody's gonna catch me.
I saw This is how they do it inthe movies.
She's got gloves.
Pick up the casings, leave thegun.
Mm-hmm.

Dani (24:36):
prosecutor Thomas said that Johnson was livid, that her
parents wanted to turn Santosinto the authorities for
statutory rape.
Quote, we don't have to provemotive.
We know Sarah was dating a19-year-old Bruno Santos.
She was 16.
She was obsessed with him.
It was a very heavy, very sexualrelationship.

(25:01):
Alan and Diane did not approveof this relationship.
They wanted it stopped.
Thomas also claimed that Johnsontried to pin the murders on a
disgruntled cleaning lady.

Stephanie (25:14):
How rude.
She's

Dani (25:15):
such a fucking bra dude.
He said Santos came back toIdaho after being deported to
Mexico to testify.
Quote, he provided us access tohis home, his car, his DNA.
He said, here you go.
Wasn't me.
Literally wasn't me.

(25:36):
He's like this crazy bitch.
It wasn't me.
Yeah.
Search my car.
Like,

Stephanie (25:41):
whoa, whoa,

Dani (25:41):
whoa, whoa, whoa.
I wasn't signing up for this.
Kind of crazy like he wassneaking out and coming and
hanging out with me over theweekend.
Ette, uh, murder?
No.

Stephanie (25:52):
Yeah, not into it.
I really

Dani (25:54):
don't believe he knew anything.
I think she was just, he

Stephanie (25:57):
was a sweet little surprise she had for him.

Dani (25:59):
Guess what?
My parents are dead, so nowwe're free.
We can date and do whatever andoh, by the way, got life
insurance so we're set.
La ya.
Yikes.
I don't think he was up for thisat all.

Stephanie (26:12):
No.
He's like, I didn't know we wereat that stage in our
relationship.
Wow.
Oh, is this mean we'recommitted?

Dani (26:20):
Oh, I

Stephanie (26:21):
thought we were

Dani (26:21):
just dating.
Mm-hmm.
No, I thought you're little.
You're my little side piece.

Stephanie (26:27):
Right.
He's like, oh, I did not knowyou were that serious.
Okay.
Okay.
Noted.
Um, wows, yikes.

Dani (26:38):
Johnson burst into tears twice on the first day of the
trial.
Mm.
Oh, because you got caught?
Uh, no.
Once when the prosecutor wasdescribing the bedroom scene,
and again, when they played thenine one one call made by the
neighbor.
Let's hear some testimony fromMs.

(26:59):
Sarah.
Uh, no.
We're, um, not yet.
We're, we're gonna be talkingabout some neighbors here.
Okay.
Lots of neighbors are gonna comeup.
They, every neighbor, they, Ifeel like they called up.
Did you hear anything right?
Neighbor, Kim Richards testifiedthat Johnson came running over
to her house that morning.
Quote, she was screaming.

(27:21):
She said someone shot her dad,someone shot her parents.
Johnson had told Kim that sheheard shots, but didn't say she
saw someone shoot her parents orsee their bodies.
According to the neighbor,Johnson assumed they had been
shot after hearing the gunshotsbecause they didn't answer when
she called for them.
A couple of times Kim said itdidn't look like Johnson had

(27:46):
just gotten outta bed either herclothes weren't wrinkled and her
hair was not messy.
She'd been up all nightpreparing.
Well, she, when I read it in thepaper it said, and her hair
wasn't askew.
I'm like, I can't use that word.
It's not my vocab.

(28:08):
Kim's husband, Timothy alsotestified, and this is such
Idaho dude, right?
Like he said, yeah, when I wentover to the house, check on the
couple, like, excuse me.
Say what?

Stephanie (28:20):
Just walks right in.

Dani (28:21):
He's like, oh, howdy neighbors.
There's gunshots.
I'm gonna go check that out.
Not me.
No, I'm calling the police.
Mm-hmm.
And waiting for the police too.
Yeah.
I'm not nowhere near there.
Uh, when he went to the house tocheck on the couple quote, there
was an odor, it was sour.
There were debris, pieces ofhair, skin.

(28:45):
A sogginess under my feet.
Oh, no.
From the visual I saw, I knewsomething was terribly wrong.
Yeah.
Oh,

Stephanie (28:56):
that was very descriptive.

Dani (28:57):
It was.
And he's just like, yeah, I'mgonna go check it out.
You stay here, I hun.
Call the cops.
I'm gonna go over and check itout.
Okay.
No, Jared would do that.

Stephanie (29:09):
Probably

Dani (29:10):
Rick.

Stephanie (29:10):
Yeah, he would.
Yeah.

Dani (29:11):
I'd be like, no, don't go.
Can you just stay?
Hey, Johnsons you home?
What's going on in here?
Oh shit.
No, I would not be going.

Stephanie (29:21):
Mm-hmm.

Dani (29:23):
On day two of the trial, Johnson is breaking down again.
Uncontrollable sobbing.
Caused the judge wood to order a20 minute break so she could
compose herself.
Bellevue Marshall Temple Trembletestified that the crime scene.
And took him aback when he sawthe bodies and the large amount

(29:44):
of blood.
Quote.
There was quite a bit ofcarnage.
He stated, the marshal said hefound Alan Johnson lying face
down on the floor, still wetfrom taking a shower.
Diane was in bed under thecovers just as if a person was
sleeping.
On cross-examination, themarshal was asked if he saw a

(30:07):
bullet hole in the quilt overDiane.
His response, no, I did not seea hole.
My concentration was on what Iwas going to find underneath.

Stephanie (30:19):
He's like, yeah, no, I wasn't looking for that.

Dani (30:21):
No, there's blood everywhere.
I just

Stephanie (30:23):
got here, bro.

Dani (30:25):
He also went through several pieces of evidence, one
of them being that the clothingthat Johnson was wearing the
morning of the murders.
When he asked if he had noticedany blood on the clothing that
morning, he said no.
Marshall Trimble also told theinvestigators about the, uh, how
he found the latex glove.

(30:47):
A brown left-handed glove,

Stephanie (30:49):
oh my gosh.

Dani (30:52):
And five bullets wrapped up in a pink bathroom in the
trash can in the front of thehouse.
Bitch couldn't even be botheredto find a matching pair of
gloves.
She's like this winter glove

Stephanie (31:03):
and a latex glove done.
That'll do.
Maybe she was trying the doubleglove and they didn't find the
other ones.
Who knows?

Dani (31:11):
I just find that

Stephanie (31:12):
odd.
It is odd.

Dani (31:15):
Like, oh, she probably found that ex, that one the real
glove, not the latex glove.
Probably in like their missingmittens.
Like we all have, we all havethe missing sock drawer slash
thing, eh.
Okay.
But there was no missingleft-handed one, so then she's
like, fuck, fine.

(31:36):
I guess I'll go to cleaning.
I'll go a lie.
Test club, cleaning room.
a police officer from the HaleyPolice Department testified.
That he was searching the backof backyard when he noticed
footprints in the lawn leadingfrom the house to an area near
some shrubs.
So dew it's a thing.

(31:57):
Mm-hmm.
You step on it, you leavefootprints and this is the
perfect time of year, September.
Oh yeah.
Its getting cool enough at nightto produce that dew

Stephanie (32:06):
and then you can, it's like having a little bit of
snow on the ground.
Yeah.

Dani (32:09):
They can totally see by the shrubs.
Several footprints were foundthat appeared to be someone
standing in the same place.
So he watched these littlefootprints and then there was
like a T down area of somebodypacing back and forth, you know?
Hmm.
Shuffling their feet from thatarea.
You could look into the masterbedroom.

Stephanie (32:31):
Interesting.

Dani (32:32):
And she was like, are you guys gonna fucking go to bed
already?
Mm-hmm.
Or do I have the balls to dothis?

Stephanie (32:39):
Probably both.

Dani (32:41):
Either way.
You're dick.

Stephanie (32:44):
Yeah.

Dani (32:45):
The officer also stated that when he spoke with Johnson
that morning, she said she hadbeen asleep for several hours.
When she was awakened by thesound of a gunshot, she wasn't
sure if it was real or if shewas dreaming, so she went back
to sleep.
Okay, I'm getting up.
I'm getting up, I'm getting upwith

Stephanie (33:06):
that loud of a gunshot.

Dani (33:09):
She heard a second gunshot and then went to her parents'
room door.
She called out for her mother,but got no reply.
Johnson told him she heard theshower running in the master
bedroom and she was afraid.
So she went running out of thehouse and that's when she heard
a body falling and a scream doorclosing at the same time.

Stephanie (33:34):
At the same time,

Dani (33:35):
bionic fucking hearing.

Stephanie (33:37):
I.
You just know that it's, youdon't know if it's a gunshot or
not, but you know the sound of abody falling and the screen door
happening at the same timesimultaneously.

Dani (33:48):
Yeah.

Stephanie (33:49):
That's quite interesting.

Dani (33:54):
I'm sorry, I'm just like, are you fucking, that's what she
said.
Okay.
The officer said Johnson wascrying that morning, but never
asked if her parents were, okay,this is a dead giveaway sign.
Mm-hmm.
This dead giveaway, becausemaybe you know what's

Stephanie (34:10):
really going on.
Like, oh, I was too scared to goin there and see what was going
on, but I don't wanna ask anyonethat's been in there, what's
going on?

Dani (34:18):
Sorry.
If somebody you lived with, yougot shot and you heard a gunshot
didn't respond, and you wentrunning outta the house to call
the police saying somebody shot.
Mm-hmm.
Wouldn't your first questionafter the police came, after
they were at the house would belike.

Stephanie (34:33):
Happened?
What's going on?
Yeah.

Dani (34:35):
What happened?
Are they okay?
What's going on?
Are they okay?
No, she didn't because she knewthey were dead because she shot
them.

Stephanie (34:43):
She didn't plan out the whole acting part.
Mm-hmm.
Far out enough in advance.
Oh, that's

Dani (34:47):
that development of the brain

Stephanie (34:50):
frontal lobe.

Dani (34:52):
On day three again, Johnson is crying after seeing a
bloody crime scene photo, judgeWood warned her to stop because
she was becoming disruptive.
He said the moaning, crying andnose blowing would have to stop
so the trial could be conductedin a manner that is not

(35:13):
disruptive.

Stephanie (35:14):
Told her,

Dani (35:15):
suck it up buttercup.

Stephanie (35:18):
He said, yeah, we've, we've had enough.
Pull it together.

Dani (35:24):
Yeah, you did this.
Attorney Bob asked if Johnsoncould be removed from the
courtroom when gruesome evidencewas shown and the judge allowed
this.
Probably just to save time.

Stephanie (35:38):
Yeah.
Like can we just stop this wholerunaround?
Just fucking,

Dani (35:40):
okay.
We're showing, we're showinganother crime scene photo where
you shot your fucking parents,get her out.
You wanna leave.
Okay.
Pictures and evidence showedblood spatters and brain matter
on the carpet, walls andceilings.
Thises is a brutal, brutal.
This is a little bit moredescriptive than we get.

Stephanie (36:00):
Yeah.

Dani (36:01):
But it was a big part of the court case.

Stephanie (36:04):
Mm-hmm.

Dani (36:06):
They wanted to show how, how brutal this was and because
I think that they were, you'relooking at a child, essentially.

Stephanie (36:16):
Mm-hmm.
And a rifle though.
Yeah.
Close range.
That will mess you up.

Dani (36:23):
Yeah, it was a lot.
Detective Steve Harkinstestified when he spoke to
Johnson that morning, he did notconsider her a suspect, but
after learning of the evidencebeing collected, he returned to
speak to her again.
This time as a suspect, it'slike, Hey, about that.

(36:44):
Uh, you ever seen a pink robebefore?
Have you?
Who?
Whose could that be?
Hmm.
Pregnancy test.
What's going on here?
Harkin said he read Johnson herrights and asked her if she
understood, quote, sheunderstood her rights and never
said she wanted to speak to alawyer.

Stephanie (37:05):
There you go.

Dani (37:07):
Harkins was asking Johnson about the pink bathrobe and if
she had ever worn latex glovesand she goes, yeah, when I was
younger, back when I was a kid,duh.
I mean, I wore latex gloves allthe time when I was younger.
Who

Stephanie (37:25):
doesn't?

Dani (37:26):
No, that's such a way.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.

Stephanie (37:29):
She's like, maybe at some point in my life.
Yeah, I, I did do that for backin the day.

Dani (37:35):
cause you know, I clean, I what?

Stephanie (37:39):
She was blaming shit on the maid.
She ain't cleaning anything.
No, she's not.

Dani (37:43):
he then asked her If she had thrown anything away lately
and she responded, she quote,would never kill her parents

Stephanie (37:53):
logical answer.
I'm surprised she didn't comeback with a, I mean, I've thrown
things away before, like back inthe day.
I've done, I've thrown somethingaway before.
Sure.
I mean,

Dani (38:02):
this is my second bloody pink robe I've thrown away.
Right.
What's the big deal?
Detective Harkins asked herabout the bullets found in her
bedroom and she told them shewasn't involved and they became
upset and said she hated gunsmore than anything.

Stephanie (38:20):
Oh, okay.

Dani (38:24):
I feel like this kind of ob, the upset she got was
getting busted.
Upset.
We've all seen that in kids.

Stephanie (38:30):
Oh yeah.
I hate guns.
How dare you?

Dani (38:36):
I hate coloring cramps.
I would never call her on thewall.

Stephanie (38:41):
Yeah, exactly.

Dani (38:43):
The detective said Johnson had tried to shift suspicion to
the family's cleaning lady.
Rude.
She said the woman had takenthings from her home and her
mother was about to file apolice report.

Stephanie (38:57):
Convenient.

Dani (38:58):
Very.
Johnson also told authoritiesthat she was having issues with
her parents after they caughther staying at her boyfriend's
house.
detective Harkin said that hehas personally spoke with Bruno
Santos more than a hundredtimes.
Santos has been a person ofinterest since the beginning of
the investigation oncross-examination.

(39:19):
Attorney Bob is really pushingfor Santos to be like an
alternative.

Stephanie (39:24):
Mm-hmm.

Dani (39:25):
He asked if Harkin was aware of Santos drug use and
gain connection.
Harkin's response was, they hadlooked into Santos pretty
extensively and that he had noinformation that Santos was in a
gang.
He said Santos worked at theBurger Grill and Kechum and
doesn't have a fancy car.

(39:46):
This, so this mentality backthen, like you're a drug dealer,
gotta

Stephanie (39:50):
have a fancy Yeah.
He doesn't have a private plane.

Dani (39:52):
Uh, when attorney Bob asked about the tattoo of the
letters BS on Santos hands,harkens replied.
He thought it stood for BrunoSantos.

Stephanie (40:05):
I mean, it's not a game, it tracks.

Dani (40:08):
He was trying to get him affiliated with a gang.
It was like.
The detective's like, no, it's,it's his initials.
Dumb ass.

Stephanie (40:16):
Dumb ass.

Dani (40:17):
Taking the dog.
Dumb ass.
Harkins testified that Johnsonherself said that Santos was not
known to be violent and shedidn't believe that he was
involved in the crime.

Stephanie (40:31):
Oh, even saving the boyfriend, right?
Not the maid, but the boyfriend.
Yeah.
They're gonna run away together.

Dani (40:39):
Married forever, true love.
XO XO Glenn Groin, A forensicpathologist with Ada County
testified Alan had been shotthrough the left chest and that
the bullet had exited throughhis back.
He said that type of injurywould not immediately
incapacitate him.

(40:59):
He thought Alan was able to livelong enough to walk from the
shower where he was shot intothe bedroom before bleeding to
death.
Oh God.
Because there was, there wasonly two bullets fired and they
found a bullet hole in theshower.
He was in the shower.

(41:19):
Oh,

Stephanie (41:21):
that's nasty work.
And

Dani (41:22):
then, but he got out like, oh my God, I'm shot.
Yeah.
He got out and walked to thebedroom.
He was found next to the bedwhere Diane was already dead.
I wonder, I wonder if he heardthat first shot and was like
getting, like

Stephanie (41:42):
getting ready to get out anyway.
Have

Dani (41:44):
you ever been in the shower and like heard something
and you're like, pull it back?
Yes.
And like, listen,

Stephanie (41:50):
like, what the hell was that?
Yeah, I bet it was scary.
It was probably so loud.

Dani (41:54):
Yeah.
And then.
Diane's autopsy showed she diedof a massive head injury caused
by a gunshot.

Stephanie (42:01):
Yeah.

Dani (42:03):
The jurors are bused from Ada County to Blaine County for
a visit to the Johnson home.

Stephanie (42:08):
Oh, wow.
Quite the field trip.
I'd be pissed.

Dani (42:11):
Don't put me on a bus for five hours.
Like, can we just take cars?

Stephanie (42:17):
Could you do a video?
Can you show me a video?

Dani (42:20):
Uh uh And they were taken in two different groups by the
bailiff and they walked throughthe house and everybody was
there.
The attorneys, the judge.
Mm-hmm.
But they all just sit outsideand they could walk through and
actually see.
And I for for context, causethere's gonna be some more
testimony.

(42:41):
I can understand it.
Nearly a dozen neighborstestified about what they heard
or seen the morning of themurders.
This is what I was telling.
They were

Stephanie (42:49):
all chatting,

Dani (42:52):
heard, uh, one said they heard rifle shots around six 20
and then heard screams.
Another testified she woke up toher dog growling and staring out
of a window and then she heard ascream.
Look, I love my dogs.
Like I'm down.
I'm, if I'm laying in bed and mydog barks at night, it sketches

(43:13):
me out.
Mm-hmm.
Because they're hearingsomething.
Dorothy Chanel.
Eh,

Stephanie (43:21):
sounds nice.

Dani (43:23):
Who lived next door?
Testified that Johnson hadstayed with her in 2003 when
Alan and Diane were out of town.
She said Johnson told her howdifficult it was to live with
her mother.
Quote, Sarah said she had a, sheabsolutely couldn't stand her
mother.

Stephanie (43:42):
Typical.

Dani (43:43):
Yeah.
You're 16.
Dorothy also described a dayback in the summer of 2003 when
she heard Diane weeping on theback patio.
Diane was saying, it's alwaysall my fault.
Everything that goes wrong isalways my fault.
She then heard Johnson screaminginside the house and Alan

(44:06):
telling her to go out andapologize to her mother.

Stephanie (44:10):
Yikes.
So the neighbors knew thingswere brat.
Yeah.

Dani (44:16):
Brat.
Prosecutors asked the neighborsif they heard any voices,
noises, cars, dogs barkingbetween the hours of two and
2:30 AM that morning.
Why?
Johnson had told investigatorsthat her whole family had been
woke up at that time after theyheard voices in the backyard.

(44:38):
Johnson said.
Diane said one of the voicessounded like the family's
cleaning lady.

Stephanie (44:46):
Oh, of course.

Dani (44:47):
Gotta drag her back into this, don't ya, you little
fucking bitch.
I'm sorry

Stephanie (44:51):
the planning was not there.
Mm.

Dani (44:54):
Sheriff Fleming testified that the crime.
Was not so well planned and alot of evidence was left.
You nailed it.
Oopsie.
Yeah.
He said there was even stagedevidence.
Oh, this is bizarro.
Two large kitchen knives werefound Blade to blade at the foot

(45:16):
of Alan and Diane's bed.

Stephanie (45:19):
Okay.

Dani (45:20):
I saw these pictures.
It was the weirdest fuckingthing.
It's like two nights likepointing at each other.
Yeah.
It was the boyfriend, BrunoSantos took the stand.
Santos said Johnson was hisgirlfriend of about three
months.

Stephanie (45:39):
This has escalated way too fast.

Dani (45:43):
He's like, bitch, we're just, we're just hanging out and
fucking I don't, yeah.
Don't go.
How to kill about it.
prosecutor Thomas asked himabout the night Alan came
looking for Johnson.
Oh yeah.
Santos said Alan threatened him.
The quote, he told me if Ididn't leave his daughter alone,
he would hit me and put me injail.

(46:07):
Very up friend about

Stephanie (46:08):
it.

Dani (46:09):
The English is not his first language.
Mm-hmm.
And there was an interpreter fora lot of this, so that's why it
sounded So

Stephanie (46:17):
Does Sarah speak Spanish English?
What's really happening here?

Dani (46:25):
I think speak English.
She's like I in Spanish oneEnglish.
But still, it was probably justfrom that response.
'cause that was a quote, I feellike it was broken English.
Sure.
And so I just wanted to saylike, I don't want him to sound
like he's not intelligent oranything.
That's why I said that.
Mm-hmm.
Because it was very direct andsimple.

Stephanie (46:45):
Yeah.
But hit me and I'm going tojail.

Dani (46:48):
Yeah.
He said he saw Johnson at uh, avolleyball game the following
Monday, and she was acting alittle weird.
Johnson told him her parents hadgrounded her because of the
incident.
Duh.
Santos said he found out aboutthe murders from his cousin and
he went to Johnson's house whenI got there and an officer asked

(47:13):
who I was and I said I wasSarah's boyfriend.
They told me to get out of thecar and they arrested me.

Stephanie (47:21):
Wow.
Immediate, because they can't bea

Dani (47:24):
19-year-old.
Uh, plus I bet by the time heshowed up

Stephanie (47:31):
that

Dani (47:32):
they already knew they saw

Stephanie (47:33):
the robe.

Dani (47:34):
Yeah.
Something was fishy.

Stephanie (47:36):
They're like, yeah, why don't you come with us too.

Dani (47:38):
Yeah.

Stephanie (47:38):
Glad you showed up.
Thanks.
Thanks for stopping by.

Dani (47:42):
The man who was renting the small house on the on the
property testified.
Male Spiegel said he had acollection of guns and some
ammunition stored in a closet,and it was covered with clothing
quote.
So if anyone was looking in thecloset, they wouldn't notice'em.
Mm-hmm.

Stephanie (48:01):
Not if you're a Snoopy teenager.
Exactly.

Dani (48:05):
He also said no one outside of the Johnson's family
knew where his guns were.
One of Mel's guns, a 2 64 Magnumdeer rifle was the murder
weapon.
The housekeeper, Janet Hilton.
This is so sad.
So you've talked about thehousekeeper several times.
She testified she had cleanedthe Johnson's home on August

(48:28):
26th.
And this was a referral fromeither a cousin or an aunt, like
I got this cleaning lady kind ofthing.
Sure.
So that's how she got the gig.
She said she had not stolenanything from the home, but
defense attorney Rader, who'sanother defense attorney, was

(48:49):
trying to put doubt into thejury during her cross
examination.
Janet was questions about hertwo felony convictions in 1998.
Grand Theft auto, an assault andbattery, and a correctional
officer.
Janet had served five years inprison and just been released in
2003.

Stephanie (49:10):
Yikes.
So she knows it's not lookinggood.
I mean, there's so much evidenceit's not a huge deal, but when
you have someone pointing thefinger at you and you just got
outta jail, you're like, great.

Dani (49:19):
Fuck.
Fuck my life.
I would seriously this little

Stephanie (49:21):
16-year-old girl,

Dani (49:23):
she's like, hmm.
Um, Janet was also asked abouther history of drug use and the
prosecution did not re likequestion her, what do they call
it?
Redirect.
Thank you.
'cause she was a mess.
She was so upset.
She left the ta the stand intears because she, here she is.

(49:45):
Like, I've gotta, I, yes, I getshit.
I'm trying

Stephanie (49:47):
to do stuff the right way

Dani (49:49):
and this little fucking brat drags me into this saying
that I stole and you're askingme all about my pa because it's
hard.
Like if you're trying to, youdon't wanna present yourself as
you don't walk up and be like,hi.
I was in jail for five years.
Like, you know, you don't dothat.
No, she worked anyway.
I felt bad for her.

Stephanie (50:10):
Yeah,

Dani (50:11):
I did.
a fingerprint analyst, said shecould not recover any
identifiable fingerprints fromthe murder, murder weapon.
the boxes of ammunition or thetwo large knives that were
found,

Stephanie (50:26):
she had those mismatched gloves.

Dani (50:27):
Exactly.
And you know, the defense isclinging on this.

Stephanie (50:33):
Oh, I bet.
They're one strand of hope.

Dani (50:37):
There's actually another one, two.
Okay.
So I'm, yeah, it's come.
Megan Sby, a lifelong friend ofJohnson's testified that Johnson
was more worried about herboyfriend than her parents in
the two days following themurder.

Stephanie (50:53):
That doesn't look good.

Dani (50:55):
How'd that go for you bestie?
A DNA expert testified Johnson'sDNA was found on a right-handed
latex glove, a left-handedleather glove, and the pink
bathrobe,

Stephanie (51:10):
so it's your robe, honey, your gloves.

Dani (51:14):
The blood on the ma bathrobe matched Diane's.
They also had gun residue onthem.
Shocker Cha Chink.
Diane's sister, Linda testifiedabout the weekend of the
murders.
She said her and her husbandcame to spend the Labor Day
weekend with them in Bellevue,and they were there for all that

(51:35):
drama with Santos.

Stephanie (51:38):
Oh gosh,

Dani (51:38):
yeah.
Uh, Linda stated, Diane said shethought it was inappropriate.
A 19-year-old dropout datingSarah.
It is because these guys were,you know, they had money and.
She also told Linda that she hadplanned on talking with the
marshal on Tuesday about filingstatutory rape charges against

(51:59):
Santos.
'cause it was a holiday weekend.

Stephanie (52:01):
She was like, yeah, I don't wanna bother him on Labor
Day.
We'll get to it after theholiday.

Dani (52:06):
Probably nobody was

Stephanie (52:07):
working.
Right.

Dani (52:08):
that was the last conversation Linda had with her
sister.

Stephanie (52:11):
Oh gosh.

Dani (52:14):
That pissed me off.
Mm-hmm.
Like our last conversation wastalking about what a miserable
shit your daughter was and thenshe murdered you.
Right.
Ugh.
Johnson went to live with Lindaafter the murders.
Linda said Johnson's behaviorwas inappropriate.
Quote.
We would be talking about Alanand Diane and she would be upset

(52:36):
and roll her eyes and actdisgusted.
Oh.
Like, don't bother me with yourfucking drama.
quote during the service forAlan and Diane.
Johnson asked to attend avolleyball game later that
evening.

Stephanie (52:50):
Okay?
It says, you're not doing verywell here.
You're not playing the part verywell.

Dani (52:56):
Mm.
Shante Coddle, another friend ofJohnson said, Johnson came to
volleyball practice the dayafter the shootings and showed
her two rings.
Johnson told her she and Santoswere engaged and that she was
having sex with him.

Stephanie (53:14):
Scandalous, very scandalous.
And also, why did you have bothrings?
Are you sure you're engaged?
Does he know that you'reengaged?
Does he have any idea what'sgoing on?

Dani (53:25):
Because I just think you were like, yeah,

Stephanie (53:28):
this is wild.

Dani (53:31):
Quote, Sarah told us that she and her brother would be
taken care of the rest of theirlife.
When someone asked about aninheritance.
Lorna Ash Johnson's godmothertestified Johnson seemed
detached and concerned aboutherself after the murders quote.
She was more concerned aboutgetting her nails and her hair

(53:54):
done.
Sarah got upset thatinvestigators had cut her
thumbnail off for evidence.
Oh.

Stephanie (54:00):
How dare they proms coming up.
Oh my God.
Well, and I think that the, yousaid a little earlier that
someone asked her like, aboutinheritance and she's like, oh,
me and my brother will be takencare of for life if it's the day
after my parents were killed.
And you asked me like, are yougetting like an inheritance or
something?

(54:20):
I think that your normalreaction would be to be
incredibly offended,

Dani (54:24):
go fuck yourself.

Stephanie (54:25):
Yeah.
Like why would you ask me that?

Dani (54:27):
No, I'm good.
Yeah.
I'm so good.
No, we're

Stephanie (54:29):
gonna, we're gonna be just fine.
Don't you worry.
So strange.

Dani (54:37):
Remember the cellmate?
Mm-hmm.
She's here.
This bitch.
Don't give a fuck.
And I like her.

Stephanie (54:45):
Let's hear it.

Dani (54:48):
I just will have to tell you.
And when I was doing myresearch, they said her
profanity laced testimony, solove it.
Um, of course I didn't reprintthat in the newspapers, but just
imagine her getting a littlecreative with some of her words.
A gal

Stephanie (55:03):
after our own heart.

Dani (55:05):
Exactly.
I actually do cuss a little.
Melinda Gonzalez was jailed ondrug charges and shared a cell
with Johnson for months afterher arrest.
Melinda testified Johnson calledher mother vulgar names.
I'm sure she said exactly whatnames in court.
Yeah, she's under,

Stephanie (55:25):
she's under oath.
She has a duty.

Dani (55:26):
Yeah.
and often said she would go intoknock down, drag out fights with
her mother.
She said Johnson had pinned themurder on her brother.
Fucking poor brother, whom sheaccused of taking money from the
family.
Quote.
I would ask her questions overand over and over again.

(55:48):
One time we were talking and shesaid, when I killed, I mean when
the killers killed my parents,oops, Melinda had your number
bitch.
She knew you were a snakey.

Stephanie (56:01):
She's like, what else can I get out of this girl
because I'm about to get someyears off my sentence.

Dani (56:07):
Melinda was not impressed with the defense team.
She often sneered and pushedback on cross examination.
Get it

Stephanie (56:15):
girl.

Dani (56:16):
One attorney Bob asked if she received anything in
exchange for testimony.
She laughed.
He asked her, this is a joke toyou, isn't it?
And Melinda responded, pingburn.
It's not a joke.
You are the joke to me.
Yes.
It's not about compensation forme.

Stephanie (56:37):
Actually, you're the joke here.

Dani (56:39):
I love her.

Stephanie (56:40):
Wouldn't you like to know?
Weather?
Boy

Dani (56:43):
fuck.
I love it.
Just fucking, actually, you arethe fucking Joe.
Let the record reflect.
Uh, since talking withauthorities, Melinda has been
attached twice, which sucks.
She's known as a narc now.

(57:03):
She had hot coffee thrown in herface, and another inmate hit
her.
When she asked why she was doingthis, she said, quote, my
parents are important to me andI can't be with my parents.
I don't want anything to happento them.
That's why I came here today.

Stephanie (57:22):
Tell'em

Dani (57:23):
she's probably the toughest bitch.
People meet in their entire,she's probably in there on like
some drug charges.
Mm-hmm.
Or something, and she's like, Iam not that person.
Yeah.
Like, yeah, I'm, yeah.
And it is feeling junk.
Someone is probably whiny andOh, and just a baby.

(57:43):
Get the baby.
Prosecutors presented the sheetsas evidence.
Okay.
O trigger warning.
I

Stephanie (57:53):
bet

Dani (57:55):
when they spread out the blood coverage sheets, body
pieces fell to the floor.
Oh

Stephanie (58:01):
no.

Dani (58:03):
The trial was halted for two hours so the courtroom could
be cleaned because those once itdries.

Stephanie (58:14):
Oh, this was live in front of the drawer?
Yes.

Dani (58:18):
And then they opened up the sheets and the little

Stephanie (58:21):
chunks.

Dani (58:23):
Thank you.

Stephanie (58:23):
You said it on me.
Yes.
That's all I can picture.
Yeah.
'cause I, a rifle will justlike, its like a little bomb.

Dani (58:31):
Yeah.

Stephanie (58:33):
Oh, how terrorizing for everyone?

Dani (58:36):
I would.
That is,

Stephanie (58:40):
yeah.
Oh, hearing it.
Ooh.

Dani (58:43):
Testimony was presented that Johnson had put the robe on
backwards and shot her parentsapproximately 20 feet away.

Stephanie (58:51):
Smart genius.
Got a high IQ killer here,

Dani (58:57):
and I'm just gonna go put it in the trash can.
It's all gone.
Bye bye.
The last prosecution witness wasMatt Johnson.
Now, brother Matt testified thatJohnson and her mother did not
get along.
Quote, it was fairly rocky.
There was a, there was constantfighting, bickering back and

(59:21):
forth.
She seemed to get along wellwith my father.
Obviously it wasn't hard for herto fucking shoot him.

Stephanie (59:29):
Yeah, got rid of him too real quick.

Dani (59:32):
Matt asked his sister if her door was shut when she heard
the shots and she had told himyes, but blood spatter and brain
matter were found in her roommore than 20 feet away.

Stephanie (59:45):
Holy shit.

Dani (59:48):
Yeah, they, so they, she always said like, the door was
shut, like I went and knocked onthe door.
Mm-hmm.
And nobody answered me like Iwent up.
No, no.
There was literally blood andbrain matter in her fucking
room.
Didn't you?

(01:00:08):
Didn't think that went out, didyou say?

Stephanie (01:00:10):
No,

Dani (01:00:11):
you didn't think about that one.

It's like she watched one murder mystery and was like,

Dani (01:00:16):
that's exactly what she did.
Easy

enough.

Dani (01:00:20):
Matt also testified that his parents quote, did anything
for her.
Always trying to make her happy.
She was a spoiled fucking bratwho was high maintenance.
Oh, I can't get my weight.
I'm gonna kill about it.

And in that brutal of a manner is wild.

Dani (01:00:43):
FYI, Matt and Johnson are half siblings.
Alan had adopted Matt at a veryyoung age.
Okay.
So, oh my God.
I'd fucking be so mad at mysister.
Yeah.
I would be like, can I throwpunch you right now?
Yeah.
And then I'm never fuckinglooking at you.

(01:01:05):
You are dead to me.
You don't exist.
Uh, the defense team asked toenter evidence of a coconut
being shot with a rifle todemonstrate the blood splatter
from Diane's head entry.

Oh my God.

Dani (01:01:21):
They filled the coconut with half and half cream.
That had been colored with redand blue.
What food coloring to representblood and other body material.
Judge said, nope.

Why would the defense want this?
I don't.
There was a reason behind.
We wanna show you just howbrutal it is.
Mm-hmm.
What Can we shoot some foodcoloring in this and just blast
it off?
Let's go outside.
I

Dani (01:01:49):
dunno what, I don't know what their motive was behind it.
What the fuck is going on?
I was just like, are you fuckingkidding me?
Uh, the judge said quote quiteclearly.
It does not represent whathappened.

Yeah.

Dani (01:02:02):
No coconuts were shot in this crime.

What in the world?
That is just baffling me.
Are you picturing the judgebeing like, you, you wanna do
what?
Um, yeah, we're gonna pass onthat.
Thanks for the, uh, suggestion.
You're weird.
You're weird,

Dani (01:02:27):
you're cool.

I'm

Dani (01:02:30):
out.
The defense team brought in apsychologist to testify about
Johnson's behavior after themurders, justifying a lot of
behaviors with trying to keepsome normalcy after a tragic
event, like going to volleyballpractice, right?
Kids just wanna be kids.
They just wanna have somenormalcy after they shoot their

(01:02:51):
parents volleyball.
Can't miss volleyball.
Yeah.
Hello.
The defense also pointed outthat the comforter that was
over, Diane was thrown out.

That is a bit of a, yeah.
Shouldn't have done that.
Why would you do that?
That was dumb.

Dani (01:03:13):
It's like throwing away a bullet.

Yeah.

Dani (01:03:15):
Oh.
Well, it wasn't found near thebody.
Chuck it.
Yeah.
Throw that shit away.
Was that Sherman?
I think it was.
Yep.
Okay.
the defense called forensicscientist Michael Howard.
He testified he had initiallydeveloped three hypothesis of
what could have possiblyhappened at the crime scene.

(01:03:37):
Here's his hypothesis.

Okay.

Dani (01:03:40):
It was a murder suicide where Alan killed Diane before
turning the gun on himself.
another one is that Johnsonpulled the trigger.
And the third hypothesis,another person committed the
murder.

I mean this, this is a forensic scientist.
Yeah.
Obviously those all could havehappened if you didn't know
anything else.

Dani (01:04:04):
But he is gonna exclude one of those hypothesis.
Oh,

which one

Dani (01:04:10):
he testified.
Johnson quote, could have notbeen the person that pulled the
trigger in this scenario.
Do tell He said the amount ofblood produced from the gunshots
could not be avoided andwould've been on Johnson.
No blood was found on

her.
She had the backwards robe,though she couldn't have done a
quick face wash and.

Dani (01:04:32):
And then I did not, I start, it has to be, I think it
was a forensic files episode,but I didn't really watch it,
watch it.
'cause I was like, you know,like I had more info.
Mm-hmm.
Like, it was just like beingdramatic.
But it was suspected that shehad had a shower cap on and
flushed it down the toilet.

Not a bad idea,

Dani (01:04:56):
but she had no blood on her.
Maybe she wrapped her head infoil.
Who fucking knows

She's in there with a grocery bag over her head.
Little hole for breathing.

Dani (01:05:08):
Uh, attorney Bob had a catchphrase that he repeatedly
used during the trial.

Lawyers love this shit,

Dani (01:05:15):
dude.
This is not an OJ trial.
Right.
It is such, it's not.
If the glove doesn't fit, youmust have quit.
Mm-hmm.
Like, that's catchy.

Yeah.

Dani (01:05:28):
Attorney Bob, no blood, no guilt.

You tried it.
I mean, that was a very poorattempt at if the glove doesn't
fit, you must acquit.
No blood, no guilt.
It doesn't even rhyme.

Dani (01:05:44):
It doesn't.

Everybody's so creative.
Not him.
Attorney Bob, dude.
And he just keeps saying that.
I be, the jury was like, shutthe fuck up.
Yeah, you're trying way toohard, bro.
This is not, you're not gonna beon every news station in the
country.
You give it up.
No blood, no guilt, no blood, noguilt.

Dani (01:06:06):
He had to admit though, that whole, the, the glove
doesn't fit.
Mm-hmm.
You must have quit.
Like,

because then the juries are like, that them's the
rules.

Dani (01:06:15):
Pretty catchy too.
Them's the rules.
Pretty catchy.
I mean, I'm saying it 30 yearslater.
Yeah.
Pretty fucking catchy.
Good job.
I can't remember who said that.
Me either.
Cochrane.
There you go.
Cochrane

smarty pants standing.

Dani (01:06:28):
It's been sticking with me for a minute.
Uh, another forensic scientisttestified for the defense
stating unknown male DNA wasfound on the rifle ammunition,
the robe, and both gloves.
Hmm.
Johnson didn't testify.
And the case is handed over tothe jury.

I see.
Okay.

Dani (01:06:51):
There were 78 witnesses that were called in the three
week trial.

Damn.

Dani (01:06:56):
Those neighbors were neighboring?
Yes, they were.

They all wanted to tell their story

Dani (01:07:03):
and I feel like this is a magic number.
After only 10 hours ofdeliberation, the jury came back
with a guilty verdict.

That's a fair number.
They did consider things, soundslike they had a lunch or two.
They talked about the no blood,no guilt.

Dani (01:07:22):
What about that robe?
She literally put that robe onfucking backwards.
Mm-hmm.
And shot her parents attorney.
Bob is on it.
He says he is planning onappealing.
Duh.
Bob.
Obviously he has filed motionswith the court for a mistrial,
saying the jury mingled with theJohnson's relatives.

M they had Ling had been seen

Dani (01:07:44):
together in the same restroom and hallways,

not the mingling.

Dani (01:07:51):
Bob also filed a motion to dismiss the gun enhancement
charge from the convictionstating that Johnson was never
arraigned on the charge.
Okay.
And he filed a motion for ajudgment of acquittal based on
insufficient evidence.

Okay?
It's a stretch.
A little bit of a stretch, butyou gotta do your duty

Dani (01:08:13):
quote.
There was never any evidencepresented to, in this trial to
show Sarah's finger was on thetrigger, so no jury can convict
her of it.
Bob, did you miss the

glove part?
Did, did, did you miss theglove?
Well, and yes, they certainlycan.
They can convict without a body,Bob.

Dani (01:08:34):
Mm.

You can't just be making up rules here That
collapse.
Hello?
Why?

Dani (01:08:41):
While awaiting the sentencing brother, Matt gets
the family home ready to sell.
He's a young man, I wanna say, Ithink he's like 23, 24.
He's a young man.
Can you imagine your dirt ball?
Fucking half sister.
Shoot your parents that you loveand adore while you're off at

(01:09:03):
college trying to make somethingof yourself and now you gotta go
fucking clean up all that shit.
I would.
And deal with

the estate.
Yeah.
Just at all of that stuff.
All of it, yeah.

Dani (01:09:14):
And to clean out your childhood home

that's covered in debris and blood and matter.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.

Dani (01:09:25):
attorney Bob is pissed.
Johnson is being moved from theBlaine County Jail to the Minica
jail and she hasn't had anyaccess to her team since her
conviction.
Johnson has been moved threetimes in three weeks, and her
attorneys were not informed.
Oh, well, Blaine County Sheriffsaid, Hey, he's trying to find a

(01:09:51):
good spot for her.
They moved Johnson from theBlaine County Jail because they
did not want her to be alongsideMelinda.

Oh, right.
Yeah.
Who don't give a fuck.
She's like, yeah, put us in acell together again.
Yeah, let's

Dani (01:10:04):
go.
Uh, or in the same facility thatSanchez is in, because Sanchez
is still in jail.

We got limited options here, folks.

Dani (01:10:12):
Johnson was then moved to the Madison County Jail and then
back to Blaine County.
Ugh.
So they're, they're just tryingto find a spot for her.
And I'm gonna tell you, thesecounties probably did not have a
lot of women facilities.
Mm-hmm.
So, you know, it's like, uh, wegot two cells for four women and
oh fuck, we have six.

(01:10:33):
That's what's happening here.

Well, and you get to go on a little field trip,
Sarah.
So quit crying.
Yeah.

Dani (01:10:39):
I don't think Sarah, well actually I think Sarah was
crying about it now that Iremember.
Wouldn't surprise us.
Sorry.
Um.
In May a hearing is held.
Attorney Bob is asking for thatacquittal.
Judge Woods said evidencelinking Johnson to her parents'
murder was as strong as quote, a40 acre field of garlic in full

(01:11:05):
bloom.

Oh, see, now that's creativity that I can
appreciate.

Dani (01:11:12):
If you would've had a slogan like that, Bob.
Yeah.
Come

on.

Dani (01:11:16):
You've never heard that before and I'm like, I, I like
that.
Yeah.
It's as strong as a 40 acrefield of garlic and bloom.

Full bloom baby.
I can

Dani (01:11:25):
smell it actually right now.
Just, just

thinking about it.
Yeah.

Dani (01:11:29):
Mm-hmm.

Poor Bob.

Dani (01:11:32):
The defense team also told the judge that Johnson was not
mature enough to testify, and sothat's why they didn't have her
up on the stand.
Okay.
She was mature enough to be,telling everybody she'd be
fucking and getting lots ofmoney.

And I'm sorry.
Kids testify all the time, likeyoung kids.
So if you're saying that, oh, ifshe would've testified it
would've changed this case, butshe just wasn't mature enough
yet, how is that even anargument?
She wasn't ready.

Dani (01:12:05):
She's not ready.
It would've been she was readyas Santos, she was ready.
She had the rings.
The claim that jurors weremingling with family members was
settled when each of the jurorssigned an affidavit stating that
there was no inappropriatecontact between the groups.
They're like, yeah, no.
Go fuck yourself, Bob.

(01:12:26):
letters from Johnson to a friendNisha.
Give some insight to her.
While she's in jail.
Okay.
She wrote things like, quote, ifI could be put in one place and
left alone, I would start to domy GED.
Since all I have now is time andquote, it's been really

(01:12:49):
stressful and my belly can'thandle it for much longer.
I can't believe that I'm stillhaving to deal with all this
crap.
I'm in total shock.

I can't believe I'm

Dani (01:13:00):
still

having to deal with all this

Dani (01:13:01):
crap.
This murderer thing.
Fuck

so over it.

Dani (01:13:06):
Her friend said that every time she had to be moved, she
had to leave everything behind.
Like her Bible, her books, herunderwear, her bra, her long
johns that she wore to keepwarm.
Valid.
I know That's how the jail,that's a valid, it's like you
don't have anything.
And then.
The little bit you have, theytake away.

Yeah.

Dani (01:13:30):
Why wouldn't they let her move it though?
I know.

Especially like

Dani (01:13:35):
the Bible and stuff.
Yeah.
Nisha said that Johnson missesher dad terribly.
Mm.
Well, fuck your mother.
What guess?
So she talks about both parentswith fond memories.
She talks about trips that theytook and the holidays.
It's very painful for her totalk about them.

(01:13:57):
Mm, I bet.
I bet that would be painful.
Ouch.
At the sentencing hearing,brother Matt testified again, oh
my God, this poor kid quote.
I think some honesty needs tocome out of you and you need to
plead to the court for someforgiveness.

(01:14:17):
One of the ugliest and mosthorrifying things I've ever had
to do when we sold the house.
Is to go through and clean upblood and tissue and hair so
someone else could buy it andnot be horrified.

That is terrible.

Dani (01:14:31):
Yeah.

I cannot imagine having to do that.

Dani (01:14:35):
Matt also said quote of all the things I miss, I miss
their hugs, their bear hugs.
I lost the two best friends Iever had.
He then turned to the judge andsaid, judge, I would like to see
the maximum sentence becauseafter tomorrow, I.
I don't want to have to hearabout her or this event again, I

(01:14:59):
feel she has no remorse and feelshe would do it again, except
that she would do it with betterplanning and she would try to
get away with it.
I, I'd agree with that a hundredpercent.
It's like she's a evil connivingbitch.
Mm-hmm.
Judge, sorry.
She just sucked it at murdering.

(01:15:20):
It was her first time.
Judge Wood sentenced Johnson.
To two life terms without thepossibility of parole, plus an
additional 15 years for the useof a firearm in the commission
of the murders.
Sorry, Bob.
Not getting that one Squashed.
Didn't even get that one.
Bob.
Judge Woods said quote, itescapes me.

(01:15:43):
You could have said, my God,what did I do?
I'm outta here.
But that didn't happen.
You proceeded further.
Mm-hmm.
Referring to the moment aftershe shot her mother quote, it's
undeniable.
You had to look at him in theeyes when you shot him and you

(01:16:04):
shot him in the lungs, he had nochance of survival.
He told Johnson that if itweren't for her young age, she
would've been sentenced todeath.
Quote, if this was a deathpenalty case, you would be a
candidate for it.
Tell her, get a Judge Johnson.

(01:16:26):
Read her pathetic.
No.
Johnson read a statement to thecourt quote.
I love my parents and I love myfamily.
I am deeply grieving the loss ofmy parents, as well as the loss
of my family, my home, myfriends, and my community.
I am thankful for the love andsupport of my adoptive family.

(01:16:48):
With the guidance of the Lordand the continued love and
support of those who believe inme.
I hope to rebuild my life andprove that I can be a productive
member of society.
I just puked in my mouth alittle bit.
Yeah, I mean, still just you'regrieving for you because you got
caught because I guarantee you,if you hadn't gotten caught and

(01:17:11):
pulled this off.
Yeah.
First of all, Bruno wouldn'thave been with you'cause you
weren't that kind of gal forhim.
Uh, but you would've justfucking contin.
This is how the role, this ishow it starts.
The role of the manipulating.
Mm-hmm.
And get, I mean,

she would've blown through whatever inheritance she
had.
Oh, fuck yeah.
Living the spoil

Dani (01:17:34):
bra, cry on the hog.
And it would've been, then shewould've had to fuck somebody
else over.
Mm-hmm.
She's like, oh, I got away withit now.
Who else am I gonna murder aboutit?
I really do feel that way.
I'm just, because it was justsuch a blatantly stupid crime.
Yeah.
Over teenage angst.
Yeah.

She could have been the next Robin Rowe starting
life insurance.

Dani (01:17:56):
That's exactly, that's exactly who I was thinking of
making all those statements thatwho

doesn't get life insurance policies on their
friends?
Y'all don't do that.

Dani (01:18:03):
What we're besties.
If I ever ask you for a lifelife insurance, be like, um.
I'm moving away.
Are we going to, are we gonna goout fishing to cabin soon or No?
Let's go to that rock ledge thathas such a pretty view.
Steph Uhhuh.
No.

(01:18:25):
in July.
Johnson claimed she was rapedwhile she was in custody at the
Blaine County Jail in 2004.
She was 17 emotionally andpsychologically manipulated and
then raped in the Haley Jail bya 30 something Idaho State
Prison inmate who was working asa jail trustee on a work release

(01:18:45):
program Am What's a jailtrustee?
Exactly.
What is a jail trustee?
I'm like, why?
Why

are you in the

Dani (01:18:51):
women's.
They are low risk prison inmatesbrought in to work at local
jails.
Trustees have access to jailinmates, and it varies from
county to county, but one-on-oneaccess is not uncommon.
So these are like the peoplethat are close to getting out.

(01:19:11):
Mm-hmm.

Or uh, like nonviolent offenders and stuff.

Dani (01:19:17):
Right.
Right.

Hmm.

Dani (01:19:19):
Like, you get like special fun jobs like being a janitor,
right?
All lare, uh, dunno how he,like, that's a trustee kind of a
job.
Yeah.
I don't know how he, anyway, theguards liked him in 2006, judge
Woods said, come here, attorneyBob.

(01:19:41):
Uh oh.
Let, I'll talk and talk.
The judge told Bob heovercharged the county by$42,000
in his representation ofJohnson.

That's not a small amount.

Dani (01:19:54):
Bob has just weeks to pay back the overpayment Pro.
Yeah, come here.
Prosecutor Thomas said, attorneyBob charged$130 per hour instead
of the$65 per hour specified inthe public defender contract.
And there's an additional 10 to$20,000 on top of that, he'll

(01:20:15):
have to refund based on the facthe billed us for the work
performed by one of hisassociates.

Damn,

Dani (01:20:22):
Bob, you doubled it bro.
Bob defends himself.
He said quote in my reading ofthe contract, I got an
additional$65 an hour afterJanuary 1st.
All of my be behavior has beencompletely above board.
If anybody contested any ofthis, the time to raise their
concerns were in January of2005.

(01:20:46):
Sir, you were in the middle of amurder trial.
Nobody's looking at yourinvoices.

Yeah,

Dani (01:20:53):
Thomas didn't care.
Like you guys, people had

some other things going on at the time.

Dani (01:20:59):
Well, attorney

Bob.

Dani (01:21:01):
Hmm.

This Bob character, no blood, no guilt, no invoices,
no fraud.

Dani (01:21:11):
Attorney Bob resigned from the Oregon State Bar September
of 2004 while facingdisciplinary measures according
to state bar records.
Bob was accused of.
Quote, multiple violations ofthe disciplinary rules involving
multiple clients matters thatincluded illegal or excessive

(01:21:33):
fees.
Oh, dishonesty.
Deceit or misrepresentation,including conversion of client
funds and failing to deposit andmaintain client funds and trust.

Oh shit.
They got you, Bob.
They got you in Oregon.
You were just still, uh, able topractice in Idaho.
Wow.

Dani (01:21:54):
Bob had 42 complaints in his file in Oregon.
One resulted in admonishment.
Fuck.
Hell yeah.
One in a public reprimand and 11were consolidated leading to
Bob's resignation.

That was just too much to fight for.
At that point.

Dani (01:22:15):
He was like, fuck it, I'm done.
I got this big murder case overhere.
I'm gonna overcharge for it.
Of course.
Yeah.
Double.
The Idaho State Bar gave Bob apublic remand in 2001 for
several violations of the IdahoRules of Professional Conduct.
How did he get the defenseanyway?
Shady.
Very shady.

(01:22:36):
It's like, better

call Saul.

Dani (01:22:38):
Oh shit.
Uh, in April, Blaine CountySheriff Fleming and Prosecutor
Thomas said there is no evidenceJohnson was sexually assaulted.
While at an inmate at the BlaineCounty Jail, Johnson told
several inmates she was havingsex with a male inmate and that
she was bribing the jail staff.
To continue the relationship.

(01:22:59):
Johnson said the other inmatewas visiting her cell by
climbing through an air duct.
You've been watching too manymovies, ma'am.
What in the hell is going onhere?
Investigators said that was notpossible.
They're like, yeah, it doesn'twork like that here.
No.
So she made up this whole story.

(01:23:20):
That guy probably gotquestioned.
Oh yeah.
Like, yeah.
What an interesting character wehave.
I think she's probably flirtingwith him.
Because she obviously is needingthe male attention, and maybe he
was nice to her at first, butthen he is like, eh, eh, aren't

(01:23:44):
you that chick that killed her

parents?
Yeah.
I'm not, we're not engaged rightnow or anything.
Right.

Dani (01:23:50):
Hard pass.
Uh oh.
And I'm about ready to get outtajail.
Yeah.
'cause I'm a trustee, so, uh, gofuck yourself.
She just made it all up.

This gal

Dani (01:24:03):
in May, we are in court again because Johnson is
fighting over insurance benefitswith her brother Matt.
He received half.
It was a significant, I mean,sure 2005.
I mean, he received half of the$500,550,000 benefit already,
but he wants the rest.

(01:24:25):
Uh, Johnson is disqualified toreceive it under the Idaho
Slayers Act.

Yeah.

Dani (01:24:30):
You can't be collecting on that if you killed them.
No, but I didn't even know thatwas an act.
Oh, really?
No.
Uh, the Idaho Slayers Actprevents anyone found to have
been involved in a murder fromprofiting by receiving property
or other benefits.
I thought that that was like afederal law for some, I don't
know.
I thought it was a federal law.
I know that cannot.

(01:24:50):
I would

hope it is, but.
But that the Idaho Slayer Act,that we've gotta have a separate
thing for it.
That's interesting.

Dani (01:24:59):
Yeah.
The name was kind ofinteresting.

Slayer Act.

Dani (01:25:03):
fifth district judge LG ruled he won't make that
distention until Johnson'smurder conviction has been
settled.
So he's like, we, we know we'regonna have a ton of appeals on
this.
I'm not giving that money toanybody right now.
Just hold it so we don't have togo backwards.
Just.
the$275,000, was deposited bythe court into certificates of

(01:25:26):
deposit where it continuesearning interest.
So they didn't just, yeah, okay,we're just gonna put it here.
Let it collect some interest,let figure out, didn't figured
out, yeah.
In July, judge Woods said thateven though attorney Bob and
Rader missed the deadline toappeal.

(01:25:46):
Johnson will be allowed tosubmit or appeal to the Idaho
Supreme Court

dropping the ball.
Bob was a little bit low onfunds for reasons that we know.

Dani (01:25:56):
No, he was not.
the judge said there's plenty ofevidence that Johnson had asked
her attorneys to appeal and theyassured her they were going to
do so, and then they went onvacation

heading to Reno.
I fucking love that so

Dani (01:26:13):
much.
Taking those kids C Circus.
Here's 40 bucks.
Don't, don't call.
Don't bother me.
Yeah.
In 2008, attorney Bob is outtathe picture by Bob, the Idaho
State Bar suspended Bob for twoyears due to his record in
Oregon.
End.
the appeal in front of the IdahoSupreme Court is because of

(01:26:35):
instruction to the jury.
They were instructed that theycould convict her for first
degree murder or aiding andabetting a murder due process
did not happen because Johnsonwas unaware of that specific
crime to aiding and abetting,and she never had the
opportunity to defend herself ofthat charge In a May, the

(01:26:56):
Supreme Court said Tough shit.
The conviction was legal.
and this is why in the eyes ofthe law, they don't care.
Hmm.
aiding and abetting a murder orbeing found of guilty of murder,
like same level, same thing.
They're like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

(01:27:18):
Anyway, yeah.
Johnson's next appeal is forinadequate counsel.
Bob might have one there.

Bob,

Dani (01:27:26):
no blood, no guilt.

What?
What the fuck?
That's not an award-winningdefense.
That's

Dani (01:27:30):
not catchy enough.
What the fuck?
in 2009, judge Barry WoodGrant's new evidence discovery.
New defense attorney ChrisChristopher Sims asked for all
evidence related to a newlydiscovered fingerprint that was
found on the murder weapon.

Oh.

Dani (01:27:49):
Um, this is fucking six years later.
Yeah.
Hmm.
These fingerprints belong toChristopher Hill.
Who is Christopher.
Yeah.
He was a previous roommate ofMel Spiegel, who rented the
guest house at Johnson'sProperty Hill had helped him

(01:28:12):
move into the house, and hestated that he had also fired
the gun before.
All right.
They were digging deep to findthat,

and that's a reasonable explanation as well.
But nope, this roommate just isgonna go in and blast the shit
out of these two people.
Okay.

Dani (01:28:32):
It's, and it's just finding somebody else to blame.
Mm-hmm.
But the obvious person and the,the things that he probably had
to go through, she's just, shedon't give a fuck who she's
dragging down.
Mm-hmm.
It has no.
Mm-hmm.
Her moral compass is fuckingbroke.
She wants to go

to the volleyball games.

Dani (01:28:52):
Damnit.
In 2010, Santos was arrested.

Oh, Santos.
What the hell?

Dani (01:29:00):
After selling a half pound of meth to an undercover
detective

Damnit Santos.

Dani (01:29:06):
Is that a lot?
That is a lot.
Okay.
Santos had been deported afterthe trial in 2005.
And most recently as 2010, hejust be coming and going.
He's like, yeah.
Um, it was great to see myfriends.
Bye.
I back, uh, in December, 2010,Johnson is back in court, for a

(01:29:30):
civil post, for civil,post-conviction relief.
Multiple syllables.
Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus.
The hearing focuses on multipleallegations, including
ineffective counsel and evidencetampering, and of course, the
new fingerprints.
She wants a new trial.

Hmm.

Dani (01:29:51):
In 2011, Santos pleads guilty on those drug charges.
He's facing five years to lifein prison.
He ends up being sentenced to 13years fixed with an
indeterminate of 11 years.
That's a long time, maybemandatory minimum sentencing
later in the year in a 94 pagedecision, fifth district Judge

(01:30:16):
Bevin denied a new murder trialfor Johnson.
You 94 page decision.
He's like, let me tell you why,uh, most of these decisions I
see.
Or maybe 10, 12.
Wow, I didn't know that.
they're very clean and simple.
And the first page is like halfit's taken up by,

yeah.
Who is it?
The blah, blah, blah.
Right?

Dani (01:30:40):
Like, what's up?
Um, so yeah, 94 fucking pages.
He's like, you're, you're dumb.
You're dumb, you're dumb.
This ain't gonna work.
2014, another rejection for anew trial by the Idaho Supreme
Court.
This time the Idaho InnocenceProject is involved.

(01:31:01):
Mm.
Which surprises me.
Yeah.
Because there's cases that I'mgonna research that I know they
were involved in, uh, the Idaho,but just to let you know about
the Idaho Innocent Project, it'sa big deal.
Mm-hmm.
Like they've gotten people off adeath row.
That should have been off deathrow.
Yeah.
I don't think this gal's acandidate, but, uh, do what

(01:31:23):
you're gonna do.
But the Idaho Innocent Projecthas helped free over 250 people,
but in 2024 it was suspended dueto funding.
Oh, shit.
I was so surprised.
'cause it's run outta BoiseState.
I didn't know that.
Yeah.
And like there's some big casesthat they worked on.
Oh yeah.
And, and they will be coming up.

(01:31:43):
yeah.
So I was surprised that it wasno longer there.
Lack of funding, right.
I believe in that.
Like I'm all like if somebodydid not murder somebody, yeah.
This is not, I mean becausethere have

been cases where even evidence comes up later that
prove, like basically proves theother person innocent.

Dani (01:32:04):
The DNA NA testing and stuff.

Mm-hmm.
And they still keep'em there andwon't let'em have a retrial.
Yeah.
'cause they don't have theresources and everything.
So, no, I agree with it too.
A lot

Dani (01:32:13):
of it's just getting the DNA tested.
Mm-hmm.
It's like an act of Congress toget that done.
It's expensive.
It takes a long time.
Like some of these like rape andmurder cases where there's
definitely DNA evidence from theeighties and nineties that can
be tested and they just, theseguys are still just sitting
there.
Mm-hmm.
And I think it's

a money thing too, so they don't wanna do the testing.
And they also spent all thismoney on trials already.
Yeah.
In

Dani (01:32:38):
appeals.
And so, no, they have to, it'spretty much they have, some of
these are stretching to wherethey have to pay for it
themselves.
And so that's what Right.
The Idaho Innocence Project,innocence Project is about, it's
about getting that stuff tested,having the funding.

Mm-hmm.
It's

Dani (01:32:53):
not only, Hey, judge, can we have that to test, but also
don't worry, we're gonna pay forit.

Yeah.

Dani (01:32:59):
And so it's much easier to get that done that way than to
try to convince the court for.

I don't know what ridiculous how much it is.
Yeah,

Dani (01:33:08):
I'd be curious.
I'll have to look that up.
One time in 2024, Santos isreleased from prison.

Oh wow.

Dani (01:33:17):
Just last year.

Wild.

Dani (01:33:20):
Uh, so he was in prison for what?
From 2011, 24, 13 years, he didthe full'cause that was fixed.
Right?
Yep.
Damn.
Don't sell drugs.
Yeah.
Stop doing that.
I mean, you can.
You shouldn't do drugs.
But if you do, just do drugs.

(01:33:42):
Just do the drugs.
Don't

sell

Dani (01:33:44):
them.
Don't sell them.
You'll end up spending half ofyour life in prison.
Bad idea.
And actually I'm really kind ofdown on the drug dealers right
now because of all the fentanyl.

Yeah.
Stop.
Stop.
With that

Dani (01:33:55):
Took to quote, Theo can't even do cocaine in this place
anymore.
Hell is this America?
Can you believe you said that tothe price resident?
Anyways?

He's

Dani (01:34:06):
like, I know.
Uh, and currently in 2025,Johnson is 38.
And residing at the PocatelloWomen's Correctional Center, not
right this second, but with LoriVallow.
Oh, that's where Lori Vallow issupposed to be, but right now

(01:34:27):
she's in Arizona.
She's doing her tour.
so yeah.
Spoil Brett.
She, yeah.
Okay.
Has been in prison over half herlife.

Overall.
Terrible murder job, and to killyour parents.
Especially since she said sheloved her dad and had no problem
with him, but she was just gottamake it look good.
Yeah.
Gotta get'em both outta the wayso I can get that money and do
what I want.
'cause my dad still probablywouldn't let me do what I want,
so.

(01:35:00):
It's just

Dani (01:35:00):
terrible.
And I really do think heprobably, he, I know he heard
that shot.
Mm-hmm.
Even though he was in theshower, right?
Oh, yeah.
There's no not hearing it.
And to li when you hear you'relistening, you're like, did I
just hear something and haveyour daughter just fucking turn
around the fucking gun and shootyou?

And that she had a bruise for it and everything.
Yeah.
Yeah, you're not blaming it onthe maid or the brother or the
roommate or whoever.

Dani (01:35:32):
Whoever, the roommate's roommate, shut the fuck up.
You're a spoil fucking brat bra.
And by the way, you're just afuck buddy for Santos.
He did not come visit you.
And he wasn't like, oh my, mybaby, my baby, my fiance.
Oh no.
He's like, oh, we're engaged.

(01:35:53):
Oh, news to me.
Wow.
So anyway,

thank you Danny.
Another great story.
We do have an update foreveryone.
starting around May 15th.
We're gonna be doing, an episodeevery other week.
And this is just because we do alot of stuff in the summer.
We've got vacations planned.
we still gotta live.
We still got both full-timejobs.
So we will still be doing everyother week episodes.

(01:36:17):
maybe sometimes we'll throw in abonus episode if we can, but,
uh, we appreciate, appreciateall you guys for listening.
Um, follow us on TikTok, newcontent out for you.
listen anywhere you can, we'rethere

Dani (01:36:31):
follow, like push all the buttons?
Yeah, do the buttons.

We really, and please

Dani (01:36:34):
comment.

We love them.
You guys are so funny.
Even if it's a

Dani (01:36:39):
smiley face.
but we love the smart asscomments, so yes.

Let's go, baby.
All right, well that's all fortoday.
So ten four rubber ducky.

Dani (01:36:47):
Fuck yeah.
Whew.

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