Lonnie Johnson Case Notes

The video examines the murder coverage of Lonnie Johnson in Harrisonburg, Virginia, by a local television station.
It serves as an example of the American Bar Association's (ABA) concerns regarding pretrial prejudicial publicity.
The video consists of three segments, each broadcast on separate days.
The key question is whether potential jurors, after watching this video, could remain impartial regarding Johnson's guilt or innocence in the Sherri Collins murder trial.

Lonnie Johnson also known as Ivan Johnson (Marion County, Indiana), Louis Johnson (Fulton County, Georgia), and Huntington, West Virginia.
Born in Logan County, West Virginia, in a coal camp called Lower Rex.
School records from 1962-1963 indicate he scored a $78$ on three different IQ tests, classified as low normal (national average is $100$ ).
Attended Logan Junior High School, where he was a star football player and track runner but had poor grades (Ds and Fs).
Dropped out of Logan Senior High in 1967 due to "lack of interest."
Received fair grades for conduct, personal appearance, and leadership.
No disciplinary problems were recorded during his school years.

1972: Convicted of violating the Red Man Act (assault and conspiracy) and sentenced to ten months in Logan County Jail.
1975: Convicted of armed robbery and forced sodomy in Indianapolis, Indiana, and sentenced to thirty years in the Indiana State Prison.
1978: While in prison, implicated in the 1973 murder of Teresa Millsap in Logan County, West Virginia.

Fifteen years prior, Teresa Millsap, 25, was stabbed to death in her home in Logan County, West Virginia.
Her husband found her missing with blood everywhere, their three-year-old twins were home.
One of the twins woke up to his mother's screams and was severely beaten.
Arthelia Mills, Teresa’s mother, was the last to see her alive around 10-10:30 pm, and reminded her to lock the doors.
Police believed she was stabbed to death in her home, wrapped in bedclothes, and moved between 11PM and 3:30AM.
Her body was discovered on Kelly Mountain three days later.
Bloody sheets from her bed were found nearby.
Autopsy revealed she bled to death from multiple stab wounds around the neck and chest, inflicted by a sharp knife and a blunt screwdriver-like tool.

Witnesses reported seeing Johnson's white Cadillac with "LJ" on the side near Millsap's home on the night she disappeared.
Johnson initially denied being in the area, then admitted to driving through the neighborhood but denied stopping.
A blood-stained article of the victim's clothing was found where Johnson's car was reportedly parked.
Johnson was given a polygraph test. The expert administering the test indicated Johnson was likely not telling the truth.
Initially, there was insufficient evidence to charge Johnson.

Five years later, new evidence led to Johnson's indictment for Millsap's murder.
He was extradited from Indiana to Logan County for trial.
Key witness: Mary Garten, Johnson's neighbor.
Garten testified that she saw Johnson carrying a purplish colored blanket (matching the description of a missing heirloom blanket from the victim's home) from his car to his house on the morning Millsap was reported missing.
Garten testified she also saw Johnson's mother and sister washing the blanket in the backyard, noting a large wine-colored stain.
Johnson's mother and sister denied washing the blanket.
Garten also stated she saw Johnson washing the inside of his car trunk with cleaning liquid that same morning.
Johnson testified that he went hunting with his brother and denied washing the car trunk and killing Teresa Millsap.
The first trial resulted in a hung jury after four days of deliberation (11-1 in favor of guilt).

A retrial also resulted in a hung jury.
Prosecutors dropped the charges against Johnson.
Johnson was sent back to Indiana to finish his thirty-year prison term for the 1975 robbery and sodomy conviction.
August 1983: Johnson was paroled after serving eight years.

September 1985: Johnson was jailed in Huntington, West Virginia, for sexual assault, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
His bond was initially set at $75,000$ , then lowered to $10,000$ .
A woman named Mabel Phillips posted bail, and Johnson was released.
January 1986: Johnson pleaded guilty to a battery charge; other charges were dropped.
March 1986: Charged with brandishing a weapon, but the charge was dropped because the complainant didn't appear in court.

July 1986: Tina Moore was murdered in her apartment in Harrisonburg. Johnson lived in the same building. No charges have been filed.
December 1986: A JMU student was raped, robbed, and sodomized. Johnson was charged.
October 1987: Shirley Collins was raped and murdered. Johnson was tried on a capital murder charge.
January 1988: A convenience store clerk was raped, beaten, and sodomized. Johnson was convicted and sentenced to $140$ years in prison.

The video illustrates problems with the television channel's coverage of the Lonnie Johnson story under the ABA guidelines, particularly regarding prejudicial pretrial publicity.