Sarah Marie Johnson
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| Sarah Marie Johnson | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | January 24, 1987 |
| Penalty | Life without parole |
| Status | Imprisoned |
| Occupation | Student |
| Parents | Alan & Diane Johnson (both deceased) |
Sarah Marie Johnson (born January 24, 1987), was found guilty of the first-degree murder of her parents, Alan Scott Johnson and Diana Johnson, on March 16, 2005 by an Idaho jury. She was sentenced to serve two life sentences, without the possibility of parole, concurrently by Idaho Fifth District Judge Barry Wood on June 30, 2005. Her defense focused on the possibility of another shooter that killed her parents, more likely to be her ex-boyfriend, Bruno Santos.[citation needed]
Johnson maintained her innocence during and even after the trial, in spite of strong evidence against her presented by the prosecution. It is thought that if Johnson had confessed during the sentencing phase of her trial she would have received a more lenient sentence.[citation needed]
Sarah Marie Johnson lived in Bellevue, Idaho. She came from an upper-class family. When sentencing Johnson, Judge Barry Wood told her "you had it all". Judge Wood went further to explain that he could not understand what led her to allegedly murder her parents as her parents had provided well for her and she had huge potential for college, etc.[citation needed]
It was alleged that Johnson, at approximately 6:20 am on September 2, 2003, took a .264 Winchester rifle from the guest house at her parents' home where she was sleeping, walked into her parents' bedroom and then shot her mother in the head. She then walked into the bathroom, where her father was taking a shower, and shot him in the chest, right above the heart.[citation needed]
There seemed to be no dispute between defense and prosecution that there was friction between Johnson and her parents due to Johnson's three month relationship with an illegal Mexican immigrant by the name of Bruno Santos. Johnson was only sixteen at the time and reports suggest that her parents were going to report the crime to the police. No evidence is known that suggests whether or not they were definitely going to do this or if it had been just a threat that would only, possibly, have been carried out should Johnson continue the relationship with Santos. The prosecution regarded this as a possible motive for the murders. Johnson is currently serving her life sentence at Pocatello Women's Correctional Center.[citation needed]
The case has recently been featured on the Suburban Secrets documentary show.
The crime was also featured on the Spike TV reality show "Murder".
The case has also been featured on the television show Snapped on the Oxygen network, which profiles women who are accused of murder.
