Angela Johnson

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Angela Johnson is the first woman sentenced to death by the United States federal government since Bonnie Brown Heady was put to death in the gas chamber in 1953. She is the first woman sentenced to die by a federal court in over 50 years. Forty-nine women have been executed under state laws since 1900.

In 2005, Angela was found guilty of involvement in the murder of five people in the state of Iowa in the 1993 attempt to derail a methamphetamine investigation. Iowa is one of only twelve US states without a capital punishment law.

The jury that convicted her also recommended the death sentence. The judge presiding over the case has stated "I am troubled by the lack of certainty in the record concerning the precise involvement of Angela Johnson in these crimes". However under federal law, the judge had to accept the juries' recommendation.

Her former boyfriend, Dustin Honken, is currently on death row, also convicted of the murders. Although it was Honken who actually pulled the trigger killing three adults and two children, Johnson received the death penalty for all five victims, while Honken was sentenced to death for only the two children.

Johnson, who lured four of the victims to their death by posing as a lost sales person in need of a phonebook, gained entrance into the victim's home allowing access for Honken. Honken then video taped a forced confession from one of the victims in hopes of exoneration from a previous drug charge. The victims were then taken to a remote location before being murdered.

The fifth victim, who previously dated Johnson and owed drug money to Honken, was also baited by Johnson when she requested they meet at a local county club where she was working. They then drove to a local farm where Honken was waiting with a loaded handgun.

Johnson who had a child from a previous marriage was also pregnant by Honken at the time of the murders.