Date: 10/9/2008 6:44 AM
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ For seven years a community waited to bring to justice the killers of a little victim it had come to know as “Precious Doe.”
The haunting case of the 3-year-old girl whose headless body was discovered in 2001 came to an end Wednesday with the first-degree murder conviction of Harrell Johnson, boyfriend of the victim’s mother at the time.
Johnson, 29, is expected to be sentenced to life in prison without parole. A sentencing date hasn’t been set.
“I’ve lived with this case for many years,” Kansas City police Sgt. David Bernard said after the verdict. “It was an emotional case for me and all the detectives who worked it. We took this little girl to heart.”
The unidentified little girl was dubbed “Precious Doe” until 2005, when a community activist received a tip from Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee, Okla., that helped break the case. Johnson had been living at the time in Muskogee with victim’s mother, whom he married a year after the girl’s death.
Investigators learned then that the little girl’s name was Erica Green.
Michelle Johnson, 33, testified during the trial that Harrell Johnson kicked Erica in the head after the child refused to go to bed. She said he was high on drugs at the time.
Prosecutors argued Johnson left Erica to die in the bedroom of the Kansas City house where the couple were staying. They said the couple did not want to alert authorities because both had outstanding warrants and feared going to jail.
Johnson decapitated the body and dumped it in a wooded area in an attempt to hide the crime, prosecutors said.
The defense argued that Johnson didn’t deliberately cause the child’s death.
A pediatric neurosurgeon, who testified during the trial, said doctors probably could have reversed the damage if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica.
Michelle Johnson pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder. Prosecutors have recommended she be sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Jurors deliberated for about three hours before convicting Harrell Johnson of first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child and abuse of a child. He stood emotionless as the verdicts were read.
The only possible sentence on the murder charge was life in prison without parole. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
The jury recommended sentences of four years on the endangerment charge and 25 years on the abuse charge.
Alonzo Washington said Erica’s killing shook him and others because of its heinous nature of the crime.
“It feels good to know that Erica Green has finally received justice,” said Washington, who had received the case-breaking tip from Harrell Johnson’s grandfather. “I think a life sentence is fitting. It’s clear this man was a coward. He wanted to run from what he did.
“He may have taken Erica’s life, but he did not get away with it.”
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
Man convicted of murder in Mo. ‘Precious Doe’ case
Date: 10/8/2008 10:05 PM
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A man who kicked his girlfriend’s daughter in the head and dumped her body in the woods was convicted Wednesday, resolving a case that haunted the Kansas City area during the four years the 3-year-old was known only as “Precious Doe.”
The jury deliberated about three hours before convicting Harrell Johnson, 29, of the first-degree murder of Erica Green. He was also convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and abuse of a child.
The murder conviction will send Johnson to prison for life without parole, and jurors recommended four years on the endangerment count and 25 years on the abuse count. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
A sentencing date has not been set.
During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors a guilty verdict would finally bring justice in a case that brought an outpouring of public grief after a police officer found Erica’s naked, headless body in a wooded area of Kansas City in April 2001.
“This selfish coward made the decision to put himself before this 3-year-old child’s life,” said prosecutor Jim Kanatzar.
Defense attorney Chris Slusher argued that Johnson didn’t know the girl would die. He said prosecutors hadn’t proven he was guilty of deliberately intending her death.
“It’s our position to you that the evidence in this case has not established that Harrell Johnson intended or deliberately meant for Erica Green to die,” Slusher said.
After the verdict, Kanatzar called the case a disturbing one that “will be with us for years to come.” He said he was relieved that Erica finally received justice and that Johnson got a life sentence.
Slusher said the defense’s first responsibility was to avoid a death sentence for Johnson, something it accomplished.
Lacking an identity, Erica was known only as “Precious Doe” until 2005, when a community activist received a tip from Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee, Okla., where he lived with Erica’s mother, whom he married a year after the girl’s death.
Michelle Johnson, 33, testified against her husband Tuesday after she pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder in Erica’s death.
She said Harrell Johnson was high on drugs when he kicked Erica at the Kansas City home where they were staying. She said that she knew the girl would die but that they didn’t seek medical help for her out of fear of being arrested on outstanding warrants.
A pediatric neurosurgeon testified Monday that if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica, doctors probably could have reversed the damage.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A man who kicked his girlfriend’s daughter in the head and dumped her body in the woods was convicted Wednesday, resolving a case that haunted the Kansas City area during the four years the 3-year-old was known only as “Precious Doe.”
The jury deliberated about three hours before convicting Harrell Johnson, 29, of the first-degree murder of Erica Green. He was also convicted of endangering the welfare of a child and abuse of a child.
The murder conviction will send Johnson to prison for life without parole, and jurors recommended four years on the endangerment count and 25 years on the abuse count. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
A sentencing date has not been set.
During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors a guilty verdict would finally bring justice in a case that brought an outpouring of public grief after a police officer found Erica’s naked, headless body in a wooded area of Kansas City in April 2001.
“This selfish coward made the decision to put himself before this 3-year-old child’s life,” said prosecutor Jim Kanatzar.
Defense attorney Chris Slusher argued that Johnson didn’t know the girl would die. He said prosecutors hadn’t proven he was guilty of deliberately intending her death.
“It’s our position to you that the evidence in this case has not established that Harrell Johnson intended or deliberately meant for Erica Green to die,” Slusher said.
After the verdict, Kanatzar called the case a disturbing one that “will be with us for years to come.” He said he was relieved that Erica finally received justice and that Johnson got a life sentence.
Slusher said the defense’s first responsibility was to avoid a death sentence for Johnson, something it accomplished.
Lacking an identity, Erica was known only as “Precious Doe” until 2005, when a community activist received a tip from Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee, Okla., where he lived with Erica’s mother, whom he married a year after the girl’s death.
Michelle Johnson, 33, testified against her husband Tuesday after she pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder in Erica’s death.
She said Harrell Johnson was high on drugs when he kicked Erica at the Kansas City home where they were staying. She said that she knew the girl would die but that they didn’t seek medical help for her out of fear of being arrested on outstanding warrants.
A pediatric neurosurgeon testified Monday that if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica, doctors probably could have reversed the damage.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
Deliberations begin in Mo. ‘Precious Doe’ case
Date: 10/8/2008 3:19 PM
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Jurors began deliberating the case Wednesday of a man accused of kicking a 3-year-old girl in the head, waiting hours without seeking help while she died, then decapitating the girl and dumping her body.
During closing arguments, Jackson County prosecutors told jurors that Harrell Johnson, 29, of Muskogee, Okla., killed Erica Green, the daughter of his girlfriend at the time, by kicking her in the head in 2001 and failing to seek medical help.
“This selfish coward made the decision to put himself before this 3-year-old child’s life,” said prosecutor Jim Kanatzar.
Johnson is charged with first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child, abuse of a child resulting in death and abuse of a child. If convicted of the murder charge, Johnson would be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Defense attorney Chris Slusher told the jury that Johnson didn’t know the girl would die. He said prosecutors haven’t proven that Johnson is guilty of deliberately intending her death.
“It’s our position to you that the evidence in this case has not established that Harrell Johnson intended or deliberately meant for Erica Green to die,” Slusher said.
A police officer found Erica’s naked, headless body in a wooded area of Kansas City in April 2001. Lacking an identity, she was known only as “Precious Doe” until 2005, when a community activist received a tip from Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee, Okla., where he lived with Erica’s mother, whom he married a year after the girl’s death.
Johnson’s trial began Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court, and prosecutors completed their presentation Tuesday with testimony from Johnson’s wife, Michelle Johnson, and a videotaped confession by the defendant.
Michelle Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder in Erica’s death.
She testified Tuesday that Harrell Johnson was high on drugs when he kicked Erica at the Kansas City home where they were staying. She said she knew the girl would die but that they didn’t seek medical help for fear of being arrested on outstanding warrants.
A pediatric neurosurgeon testified Monday that if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica, doctors probably could have reversed the damage.
Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Jurors began deliberating the case Wednesday of a man accused of kicking a 3-year-old girl in the head, waiting hours without seeking help while she died, then decapitating the girl and dumping her body.
During closing arguments, Jackson County prosecutors told jurors that Harrell Johnson, 29, of Muskogee, Okla., killed Erica Green, the daughter of his girlfriend at the time, by kicking her in the head in 2001 and failing to seek medical help.
“This selfish coward made the decision to put himself before this 3-year-old child’s life,” said prosecutor Jim Kanatzar.
Johnson is charged with first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child, abuse of a child resulting in death and abuse of a child. If convicted of the murder charge, Johnson would be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Defense attorney Chris Slusher told the jury that Johnson didn’t know the girl would die. He said prosecutors haven’t proven that Johnson is guilty of deliberately intending her death.
“It’s our position to you that the evidence in this case has not established that Harrell Johnson intended or deliberately meant for Erica Green to die,” Slusher said.
A police officer found Erica’s naked, headless body in a wooded area of Kansas City in April 2001. Lacking an identity, she was known only as “Precious Doe” until 2005, when a community activist received a tip from Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee, Okla., where he lived with Erica’s mother, whom he married a year after the girl’s death.
Johnson’s trial began Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court, and prosecutors completed their presentation Tuesday with testimony from Johnson’s wife, Michelle Johnson, and a videotaped confession by the defendant.
Michelle Johnson, 33, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder in Erica’s death.
She testified Tuesday that Harrell Johnson was high on drugs when he kicked Erica at the Kansas City home where they were staying. She said she knew the girl would die but that they didn’t seek medical help for fear of being arrested on outstanding warrants.
A pediatric neurosurgeon testified Monday that if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica, doctors probably could have reversed the damage.
Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
Mom says at KC trial she waited for girl to die
Date: 10/7/2008 8:19 PM
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The mother of a little girl long known as “Precious Doe” testified Tuesday she knew the injured 3-year-old needed medical attention but that she feared going to jail and instead waited for the child to die.
Testifying in her husband’s first-degree murder trial, Michelle Johnson said she watched Harrell Johnson kick little Erica Green in the head and later helped him dump the girl’s decapitated body in a wooded area of Kansas City.
A police officer found Erica’s naked, headless naked body in April 2001. Lacking an identity, she was known only as “Precious Doe” until 2005, when a community activist received a tip Harrell Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee, Okla., where the couple lived.
Harrell Johnson’s trial began Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court, and prosecutors completed their presentation Tuesday with Michelle Johnson’s testimony and a videotaped confession by the 29-year-old defendant.
The defense also rested, without calling any witnesses, and closing arguments are expected Wednesday. The defense admits that Harrell Johnson kicked the girl, but contends that the act was not premeditated, as required for a first-degree murder conviction.
Michelle Johnson, 33, who pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder, spent nearly two hours on the stand Tuesday. She held back tears at times as she described the hours that led up to her daughter’s death.
She testified that Harrell Johnson — her boyfriend at the time — was high on drugs when he kicked Erica at a Kansas City home where they were staying. She said she watched helplessly as her daughter dropped to the floor.
“He just picked up his feet and kicked her on the side of the face. I said, ‘What the (expletive) did you do?’ It shook him out of his high,” Johnson said, rising from the witness chair and lifting her temporarily unshackled foot to demonstrate.
Johnson said she put her daughter in a cold bath hoping to revive her, then placed the unresponsive child on the bedroom floor.
The couple did not seek medical help for the girl for fear of being arrested on outstanding warrants, Michelle Johnson testified.
“We wasn’t going to get it,” she said. “Because we both was on the run from police.”
She said Erica lay on the bedroom floor for what seemed like days, although Harrell Johnson contends it was hours. She said she knew that Erica would die if they didn’t get her to a hospital.
“I was on the floor with her. I was singing her favorite song to her, which was a Barney song,” Michelle Johnson told the jury. “I kissed her. I was asking God to let my daughter live and to take me.”
After Erica took her last breath, the couple waited until night to dispose of the body so that neighbors wouldn’t see them, Michelle Johnson said.
When Harrell Johnson’s grandfather came forward with the tip in 2005, the couple were in custody in Oklahoma on charges unrelated to Erica’s death.
Kansas City detective Danny Phillips testified Tuesday that he and other officers interviewed the Johnsons in Oklahoma and that the couple admitted their role in the child’s death.
In the videotape of Harrell Johnson’s statement to police in 2005, he was emotional as he described how he grabbed Erica by the shoulder and kicked her after she ignored his repeated orders for her to go to bed. He said the girl’s head hit the floor.
Prosecutors contend that the Johnsons committed murder by failing to seek medical help as Erica lay dying. A pediatric neurosurgeon testified Monday that if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica, doctors probably could have reversed the damage.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Harrell Johnson’s only possible sentence would be life in prison without parole. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The mother of a little girl long known as “Precious Doe” testified Tuesday she knew the injured 3-year-old needed medical attention but that she feared going to jail and instead waited for the child to die.
Testifying in her husband’s first-degree murder trial, Michelle Johnson said she watched Harrell Johnson kick little Erica Green in the head and later helped him dump the girl’s decapitated body in a wooded area of Kansas City.
A police officer found Erica’s naked, headless naked body in April 2001. Lacking an identity, she was known only as “Precious Doe” until 2005, when a community activist received a tip Harrell Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee, Okla., where the couple lived.
Harrell Johnson’s trial began Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court, and prosecutors completed their presentation Tuesday with Michelle Johnson’s testimony and a videotaped confession by the 29-year-old defendant.
The defense also rested, without calling any witnesses, and closing arguments are expected Wednesday. The defense admits that Harrell Johnson kicked the girl, but contends that the act was not premeditated, as required for a first-degree murder conviction.
Michelle Johnson, 33, who pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder, spent nearly two hours on the stand Tuesday. She held back tears at times as she described the hours that led up to her daughter’s death.
She testified that Harrell Johnson — her boyfriend at the time — was high on drugs when he kicked Erica at a Kansas City home where they were staying. She said she watched helplessly as her daughter dropped to the floor.
“He just picked up his feet and kicked her on the side of the face. I said, ‘What the (expletive) did you do?’ It shook him out of his high,” Johnson said, rising from the witness chair and lifting her temporarily unshackled foot to demonstrate.
Johnson said she put her daughter in a cold bath hoping to revive her, then placed the unresponsive child on the bedroom floor.
The couple did not seek medical help for the girl for fear of being arrested on outstanding warrants, Michelle Johnson testified.
“We wasn’t going to get it,” she said. “Because we both was on the run from police.”
She said Erica lay on the bedroom floor for what seemed like days, although Harrell Johnson contends it was hours. She said she knew that Erica would die if they didn’t get her to a hospital.
“I was on the floor with her. I was singing her favorite song to her, which was a Barney song,” Michelle Johnson told the jury. “I kissed her. I was asking God to let my daughter live and to take me.”
After Erica took her last breath, the couple waited until night to dispose of the body so that neighbors wouldn’t see them, Michelle Johnson said.
When Harrell Johnson’s grandfather came forward with the tip in 2005, the couple were in custody in Oklahoma on charges unrelated to Erica’s death.
Kansas City detective Danny Phillips testified Tuesday that he and other officers interviewed the Johnsons in Oklahoma and that the couple admitted their role in the child’s death.
In the videotape of Harrell Johnson’s statement to police in 2005, he was emotional as he described how he grabbed Erica by the shoulder and kicked her after she ignored his repeated orders for her to go to bed. He said the girl’s head hit the floor.
Prosecutors contend that the Johnsons committed murder by failing to seek medical help as Erica lay dying. A pediatric neurosurgeon testified Monday that if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica, doctors probably could have reversed the damage.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Harrell Johnson’s only possible sentence would be life in prison without parole. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
Slain girl’s mom testifies at husband’s trial
Date: 10/7/2008 1:59 PM
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The mother of a 3-year-old girl whose headless body was unidentified for nearly four years testified Tuesday that she watched her then-boyfriend kick her daughter in the head and helped him dump her body.
Michelle Johnson was the mother of Erica Green, who was called “Precious Doe” while authorities struggled to identify her.
Johnson told a Jackson County jury that Harrell Johnson was on drugs when he kicked Erica, and that she watched helplessly as her child dropped to the floor of the Kansas City house where they were staying.
“He just picked up his feet and kicked her on the side of the face. I said, ‘What the (expletive) did you do?’ It shook him out of his high,” Johnson said.
Michelle Johnson, 33, of Muskogee, Okla., took the stand on the second day of testimony in the first-degree murder trial of Harrell Johnson, 29, also of Muskogee.
Michelle Johnson, who married Harrell a year after her daughter’s death, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder in Erica’s death and agreed to testify against her husband.
She said she tried to revive the girl by putting her in a bathtub of cold water and when the girl didn’t respond, she took her out and put her on the bedroom floor. She said she and Harrell Johnson did not seek medical help for the girl for fear of being arrested on outstanding warrants.
Prosecutors contend that after Erica died, Harrell Johnson decapitated her with a pair of hedge clippers and dumped her body in a wooded area of Kansas City, where a police officer found her in April 2001.
For four years, the case haunted residents who longed to know the identity of the girl they had nicknamed “Precious Doe” and who could have killed her in such horrific fashion.
Her identity remained unknown until 2005, after Harrell Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee tipped a Kansas City community activist who had kept the case in the spotlight.
Prosecutors contend that the Johnsons committed murder by failing to seek medical help as Erica lay dying for hours and possibly days. A pediatric neurosurgeon testified Monday that if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica, doctors probably could have reversed the damage.
The defense admits that Harrell Johnson kicked the girl after she refused to go to bed, but contends that the act was not premeditated, as required for a first-degree murder conviction.
Besides first-degree murder, Harrell Johnson also is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, abuse of a child resulting in death and abuse of a child.
The trial is expected to last about a week. If convicted of first-degree murder, his only possible sentence would be life in prison without parole. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The mother of a 3-year-old girl whose headless body was unidentified for nearly four years testified Tuesday that she watched her then-boyfriend kick her daughter in the head and helped him dump her body.
Michelle Johnson was the mother of Erica Green, who was called “Precious Doe” while authorities struggled to identify her.
Johnson told a Jackson County jury that Harrell Johnson was on drugs when he kicked Erica, and that she watched helplessly as her child dropped to the floor of the Kansas City house where they were staying.
“He just picked up his feet and kicked her on the side of the face. I said, ‘What the (expletive) did you do?’ It shook him out of his high,” Johnson said.
Michelle Johnson, 33, of Muskogee, Okla., took the stand on the second day of testimony in the first-degree murder trial of Harrell Johnson, 29, also of Muskogee.
Michelle Johnson, who married Harrell a year after her daughter’s death, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder in Erica’s death and agreed to testify against her husband.
She said she tried to revive the girl by putting her in a bathtub of cold water and when the girl didn’t respond, she took her out and put her on the bedroom floor. She said she and Harrell Johnson did not seek medical help for the girl for fear of being arrested on outstanding warrants.
Prosecutors contend that after Erica died, Harrell Johnson decapitated her with a pair of hedge clippers and dumped her body in a wooded area of Kansas City, where a police officer found her in April 2001.
For four years, the case haunted residents who longed to know the identity of the girl they had nicknamed “Precious Doe” and who could have killed her in such horrific fashion.
Her identity remained unknown until 2005, after Harrell Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee tipped a Kansas City community activist who had kept the case in the spotlight.
Prosecutors contend that the Johnsons committed murder by failing to seek medical help as Erica lay dying for hours and possibly days. A pediatric neurosurgeon testified Monday that if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica, doctors probably could have reversed the damage.
The defense admits that Harrell Johnson kicked the girl after she refused to go to bed, but contends that the act was not premeditated, as required for a first-degree murder conviction.
Besides first-degree murder, Harrell Johnson also is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, abuse of a child resulting in death and abuse of a child.
The trial is expected to last about a week. If convicted of first-degree murder, his only possible sentence would be life in prison without parole. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
Defense: ‘Precious Doe’ defendant kicked girl, 3
Date: 10/6/2008 10:09 PM
By DAVID TWIDDY
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The man accused of murdering 3-year-old Erica Green kicked her in the head but didn’t mean to kill her, his attorney told a jury Monday in the case of a victim the city mourned for four years only knowing her as “Precious Doe.”
But while Harrell Johnson did kick Erica, his girlfriend’s daughter, that was not the premeditated act necessary for a first-degree murder conviction, defense lawyer Kenton Hall said.
“Erica Green died of a single, traumatic blow to the head, a blow that was forceful and reckless and out of control but was not intended to kill,” Hall said.
Special prosecutor Tim Dollar countered that Johnson, 29, of Muskogee, Okla., and the girl’s mother, Michelle Johnson, committed murder by failing to seek medical help as Erica lay dying for hours and possibly days. Instead, the mother tried to revive Erica with a cold bath and even attempted to feed her with an eyedropper.
“The defendant and Michelle decided that they would not call for help for little Erica because the defendant and Michelle were ‘on the run’ from the police and neither this defendant nor Michelle wanted to go to jail,” Dollar said.
A pediatric neurosurgeon testified later that if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica, physicians could likely have reversed the damage.
“I think she would have survived,” said Dr. Gregory Hornig, who reviewed records from the girl’s autopsy.
Prosecutors claim that after Erica died, the couple took the girl’s body out of the house and that Harrell Johnson decapitated her with hedge clippers and dumped the body in the woods.
The jurors viewed crime scene and autopsy photos of the girl’s severed head and neck, but Hall cautioned them that the decapitation didn’t cause the girl’s death and was meant only to hide her identity.
“You are here to judge what happened before that moment,” he said.
Erica’s body was discovered in a wooded Kansas City park area on April 28, 2001, by a Kansas City police officer searching for an elderly man who had wandered from his home.
Police Sgt. Jason Rusley testified Monday that he thought he saw a dog or a toy lying in the bushes off a gravel road and took a closer look.
“I said a gasp and ‘Oh, no,’” he said. “You could tell it was the body of a young child.”
A volunteer searcher found her head three days later about two blocks away wrapped in a pair of garbage bags.
Dollar told jurors that police had hoped that media reports about the body being found would coax the girl’s parents to come forward or file a missing person’s report.
But “no call comes and no report comes,” Dollar said. “Instead, Kansas City’s long nightmare has begun.”
For four years, the case haunted residents who longed to know the identity of the girl they had nicknamed “Precious Doe” and who could have killed her in such horrific fashion.
Homicide Sgt. David Bernard testified that he initially thought the girl would be identified quickly because of her age. He said the department used numerous drawings and clay busts of the girl’s likeness to drum up leads.
Erica was finally identified in 2005 after Harrell Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee tipped a Kansas City community activist who had kept the case in the spotlight. Johnson and the girl’s mother, who had married a year after Erica’s death, were arrested in Oklahoma.
Michelle Johnson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and agreed to testify against her husband.
The trial is expected to last about a week. If convicted of first-degree murder, his only possible sentence would be life in prison without parole. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
By DAVID TWIDDY
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ The man accused of murdering 3-year-old Erica Green kicked her in the head but didn’t mean to kill her, his attorney told a jury Monday in the case of a victim the city mourned for four years only knowing her as “Precious Doe.”
But while Harrell Johnson did kick Erica, his girlfriend’s daughter, that was not the premeditated act necessary for a first-degree murder conviction, defense lawyer Kenton Hall said.
“Erica Green died of a single, traumatic blow to the head, a blow that was forceful and reckless and out of control but was not intended to kill,” Hall said.
Special prosecutor Tim Dollar countered that Johnson, 29, of Muskogee, Okla., and the girl’s mother, Michelle Johnson, committed murder by failing to seek medical help as Erica lay dying for hours and possibly days. Instead, the mother tried to revive Erica with a cold bath and even attempted to feed her with an eyedropper.
“The defendant and Michelle decided that they would not call for help for little Erica because the defendant and Michelle were ‘on the run’ from the police and neither this defendant nor Michelle wanted to go to jail,” Dollar said.
A pediatric neurosurgeon testified later that if the couple had quickly sought medical attention for Erica, physicians could likely have reversed the damage.
“I think she would have survived,” said Dr. Gregory Hornig, who reviewed records from the girl’s autopsy.
Prosecutors claim that after Erica died, the couple took the girl’s body out of the house and that Harrell Johnson decapitated her with hedge clippers and dumped the body in the woods.
The jurors viewed crime scene and autopsy photos of the girl’s severed head and neck, but Hall cautioned them that the decapitation didn’t cause the girl’s death and was meant only to hide her identity.
“You are here to judge what happened before that moment,” he said.
Erica’s body was discovered in a wooded Kansas City park area on April 28, 2001, by a Kansas City police officer searching for an elderly man who had wandered from his home.
Police Sgt. Jason Rusley testified Monday that he thought he saw a dog or a toy lying in the bushes off a gravel road and took a closer look.
“I said a gasp and ‘Oh, no,’” he said. “You could tell it was the body of a young child.”
A volunteer searcher found her head three days later about two blocks away wrapped in a pair of garbage bags.
Dollar told jurors that police had hoped that media reports about the body being found would coax the girl’s parents to come forward or file a missing person’s report.
But “no call comes and no report comes,” Dollar said. “Instead, Kansas City’s long nightmare has begun.”
For four years, the case haunted residents who longed to know the identity of the girl they had nicknamed “Precious Doe” and who could have killed her in such horrific fashion.
Homicide Sgt. David Bernard testified that he initially thought the girl would be identified quickly because of her age. He said the department used numerous drawings and clay busts of the girl’s likeness to drum up leads.
Erica was finally identified in 2005 after Harrell Johnson’s grandfather in Muskogee tipped a Kansas City community activist who had kept the case in the spotlight. Johnson and the girl’s mother, who had married a year after Erica’s death, were arrested in Oklahoma.
Michelle Johnson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and agreed to testify against her husband.
The trial is expected to last about a week. If convicted of first-degree murder, his only possible sentence would be life in prison without parole. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
Trial under way for man in slaying of 3-year-old
Date: 10/6/2008 1:13 PM
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A man went on trial for murder Monday in the death of a 3-year-old girl whose headless body was found in the woods and nicknamed “Precious Doe.”
Special prosecutor Tim Dollar told jurors Monday that the man, Harrell Johnson, 29, was high on drugs when he knocked his girlfriend’s daughter, Erica Green, to the floor after she refused to go to bed. Johnson, along with the girls’ mother, did not seek medical help as the girl lay dying for nearly 10 hours.
Dollar told jurors that the couple refused to get assistance for Erica because they had outstanding warrants against them and didn’t want to go to jail.
Prosecutors claim the couple eventually took the girl’s body out of the house and that Johnson decapitated her and dumped the body in the woods.
Defense attorney Kenton Hall told jurors that Johnson didn’t intend for the girl to die and can’t be convicted of murder.
The girl’s headless body was discovered in a wooded Kansas City park area in 2001, and a volunteer searcher found her head several days later. For four years, the case haunted residents who longed to know who the girl was and who could have killed her in such horrific fashion.
Erica was identified in 2005 through a tip given to a community activist who was among those who kept attention on the case.
Prosecutors plan to call Michelle Johnson, Erica’s mother and Harrell Johnson’s wife, as a witness. The two were married a year after Erica’s death, but she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and agreed to testify against her husband.
The trial is expected to last about a week. If convicted of first-degree murder, the only possible sentence for Harrell Johnson would be life in prison without parole. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
By ANDALE GROSS
Associated Press Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A man went on trial for murder Monday in the death of a 3-year-old girl whose headless body was found in the woods and nicknamed “Precious Doe.”
Special prosecutor Tim Dollar told jurors Monday that the man, Harrell Johnson, 29, was high on drugs when he knocked his girlfriend’s daughter, Erica Green, to the floor after she refused to go to bed. Johnson, along with the girls’ mother, did not seek medical help as the girl lay dying for nearly 10 hours.
Dollar told jurors that the couple refused to get assistance for Erica because they had outstanding warrants against them and didn’t want to go to jail.
Prosecutors claim the couple eventually took the girl’s body out of the house and that Johnson decapitated her and dumped the body in the woods.
Defense attorney Kenton Hall told jurors that Johnson didn’t intend for the girl to die and can’t be convicted of murder.
The girl’s headless body was discovered in a wooded Kansas City park area in 2001, and a volunteer searcher found her head several days later. For four years, the case haunted residents who longed to know who the girl was and who could have killed her in such horrific fashion.
Erica was identified in 2005 through a tip given to a community activist who was among those who kept attention on the case.
Prosecutors plan to call Michelle Johnson, Erica’s mother and Harrell Johnson’s wife, as a witness. The two were married a year after Erica’s death, but she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder last year and agreed to testify against her husband.
The trial is expected to last about a week. If convicted of first-degree murder, the only possible sentence for Harrell Johnson would be life in prison without parole. Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, partly because Johnson agreed to withdraw his request to have the case moved out of Kansas City.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.