Missouri
Missouri man facing scheduled execution for beating death of 6-year-old girl in 2002
JEFFESON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man who abducted a 6-year-old girl and beat her to death at an abandoned glass factory was scheduled to be executed Tuesday in Missouri, as his attorneys pressed claims that he is mentally incompetent.
Johnny Johnson, 45, was convicted in the July, 26, 2002, killing of Casey Williamson, whose disappearance set off a frantic search in her hometown of Valley Park, a small suburb of St. Louis.
Casey’s mother had been best friends in childhood with Johnson’s older sister and had even helped babysit him. After Johnson attended a barbecue the night before the killing, Casey’s family let him sleep on a couch in the home where they also were sleeping.
In the morning, Johnson lured the girl to the abandoned factory, even carrying her on his shoulders on the walk to the dilapidated site. When he tried to sexually assault her, Casey screamed and tried to break free. According to court documents, he killed her with a brick and a large rock, then washed off in the nearby Meramec River. Johnson confessed that same day to the crimes, according to authorities.
After a search involving first responders and volunteers, Casey’s body was found in a pit less than a mile (kilometer) from her home, buried beneath rocks and debris.
At Johnson’s trial, defense lawyers presented testimony showing that their client — an ex-convict who had been released from a state psychiatric facility six months earlier — had stopped taking his schizophrenia medication and was acting strangely in the days before the slaying.
In recent appeals, Johnson’s attorneys have said he has delusions about the devil using his death to bring about the end of the world. They also noted he had been placed on suicide watch in prison a couple years ago after claiming to be a vampire.
In June, the Missouri Supreme Court denied an appeal seeking to block the execution on arguments that Johnson’s schizophrenia prevented him from understanding the link between his crime and the punishment. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office successfully challenged the credibility of the psychiatric evaluation and said medical records indicate that Johnson is able to manage his mental illness through medication.
A three-judge federal appeals court panel last week temporary halted the planned execution, but the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it. Johnson’s attorneys then filed multiple appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court centered around his competency to be executed.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Monday denied a clemency request to reduce Johnson’s sentence to life in prison.
“Johnny Johnson’s crime is one of the most horrific murders that has come across my desk,” Parson, a former sheriff, said in a statement.
The clemency petition by Johnson’s attorneys said Casey’s father, Ernie Williamson, opposed the death penalty.
But Casey’s great aunt, Della Steele, wrote an emotional plea to Parson urging him to proceed with the execution to “send the message that it is not okay to terrorize and murder a child.” Steele said in the message that the grief from Casey’s death led to destructive effects among other family members.
“He did something horrible. He took a life away from a completely innocent child, and there have to be consequences for that,” Steele told The Associated Press.
Steele has led a variety of community efforts to honor Casey. Through years of fundraising, Casey’s family provided $500 scholarships or savings bonds to all 65 students of the senior class of Valley Park High School in 2014, the year Casey would have graduated.
The family also has organized community safety fairs in Casey’s memory, including a July 22 event that drew a couple hundred people. They gave away dozens of child identification kits along with safety tips involving fire, water and bicycles, among other items.
“A lot of kids from Casey’s class were there with their children. It was nice to see, but it definitely makes you think,” Steele said. “They’re pushing their strollers with their couple of kids and you think, `That’s where she should be.’”
The scheduled execution would be the 16th in the U.S. this year. In addition to three previous executions in Missouri, five have been conducted in Texas, four in Florida, two in Oklahoma and one in Alabama. There were 18 executions in six U.S. states last year.
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Associated Press writer Jim Salter contributed to this report from O’Fallon, Missouri.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) – The 2025 fiscal year begins Monday, just days after the governor vetoed many one-time projects.
The overall budget the governor signed is about 50 billion dollars. Governor Mike Parson vetoed just over $1 billion from the 2025 Missouri state budget, blaming most of that on an expansive and controversial education bill.
Parson said that the education bill will cost $400 million more than anticipated. It includes raises for teachers and incentives for schools to stay in session five days a week.
The non-partisan think-tank Missouri Budget Project said the tight budget is likely the fault of last year’s income tax cuts. While the investment into Missourians’ education is important, Amy Blouin said the recent tax cuts are costing the state.
“Because of the tax cuts, we’re facing a significant cliff, and next year, instead of a lot of little projects throughout the state, we’re probably looking at education and healthcare being cut,” Blouin said.
The Missouri legislature slashed the top level of income taxes from 5.3% to 4.95% last year.
“We’ve been living on borrowed time, if you will, because of those savings that were accrued during COVID, but those tax cuts have real consequences,” Blouin said.
St. Louis Democratic Rep. Peter Merideth said he’s not surprised at the budget cuts, mostly because he believes Republican tax cuts are leading to a loss in revenue.
“A billion dollars a year of tax cuts that were just passed, plus more that are about to take effect, that’s why we can’t pay for all of these things,” Meredith said.
House budget chair Republican Rep. Cody Smith declined an interview today. Senate appropriations chair Republican Sen. Lincoln Hough did not respond to inquiries.
Lawmakers will begin crafting the 2026 Missouri budget in January.
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Copyright 2024 KY3. All rights reserved.
If you value your vehicle’s exterior, you might want to park it under something Tuesday evening if you live in Missouri or Illinois. Both states are in the danger zone for explosive thunderstorm development that could include big hail and damaging wind Tuesday evening.
The National Weather Service out of St. Louis, Missouri shared this explanatory graphic about what much of Missouri and Illinois can expect Tuesday early evening into later Tuesday night.
As you can see from the graphic, northeast Missouri especially is in what the National Weather Service refers to as an enhanced chance of severe storm risk. The most likely result will be strong thunderstorms which will include at least some hail and very strong winds. They mention that a “few weak tornadoes” are also a possibility for Missouri and Illinois in these storms.
It’s worth noting that their forecast for the rest of the holiday week mentions an increasing chance of thunderstorms in Missouri and Illinois as we get closer to the 4th of July. It’s possible that nature could provide its own fireworks for America’s birthday.
Make sure to check out the updated forecasts for Tuesday and the rest of 4th of July week at the National Weather Service in St. Louis official site.
10 Missouri Towns Most Likely to Get Hit by a Tornado
Gallery Credit: Canva
Missouri is building a state-of-the-art multi-agency state laboratory in Jefferson City. The $151 million project is expected to break ground this month.
Headed by Gov. Mike Parson, the planned campus will be home to several state agencies to provide a singular approach to human, animal, environmental, and criminal testing in Missouri. The new approach will enable the different government agencies to share information, expertise, equipment, supplies, and support services.
This will include the Forensic Crime Laboratory, which will provide forensic evidence testing. It will also provide crime and criminal activity verification for the state and over 600 local law enforcement agencies.
The state Department of Health and Senior Services will be providing investigative and testing services related to public health and disease, according to director Paula Nickelson.
“The opportunity for forensics as well as scientists who concentrate on environment, animals, and humans to come together is very unique,” she said. “We will be one of only three or four in the nation. We will be the only one in the Midwest that has that capacity all under one roof.”
“We are going to build state of the art facilities in this state,” Gov. Parson said. “We’re going to build the best of the best right here in Missouri. We’re going to build a lab that is second to none in the United States.”
The NEW State Health Lab consolidation will help to improve government efficiency without sacrificing the security & integrity of either lab. We’re excited for these new developments that will help improve interagency partnership and local agency collaboration. pic.twitter.com/eB7a6cOd53
— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) June 27, 2024
Today, we joined the @MDC_online, @MoAgriculture, @HealthyLivingMo, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and @MoPublicSafety to participate in a groundbreaking for the new state crime and health labs. pic.twitter.com/0OT4JMHrIQ
— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) June 27, 2024
Missouri’s Agriculture Director, Chris Chinn, said the future 250,000-square-foot lab is key to the state’s livestock industries.
“Missouri is a powerhouse in livestock production,” she explained. “We’re the number three cow state in the United States, but we’re also top ten when it comes to pigs, goats, poultry, horses, the list just goes on. This laboratory is very crucial to make sure that Missouri’s farmers and ranchers can continue to produce a safe and abundant food supply.”
Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Dru Buntin said his department provides investigative and laboratory testing for environmental health and disease.
“This new lab will strengthen and expand our services in four key areas – air, water quality monitoring, chemical analysis, and environmental emergency response.” he said.
About $183 million in federal pandemic funds have been designated for the new campus and for work to the existing State Public Health Lab.
The multi-story project is expected to finish in October of 2026.
Click here for more information.
© 2024, Missourinet.
Full-Service Debris Removal Program Available for South Fork and Salt Fire Affected Residents — Ruidoso-NM.gov | Municipal Website of the Village of Ruidoso, NM
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