BUTLER COUNTY, Kan. (KWCH) – Two 14-year-old girls have been arrested for first-degree murder. September 2023: Death of 93-year-old Joanne R. Johnson of Augusta.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation said the Augusta teens were arrested Thursday afternoon and are being held in separate juvenile detention centers. Formal charges are pending and the investigation is ongoing, the KBI said.
Johnson was found dead in her home over Labor Day weekend last year. Augusta police said she lived alone. Authorities are treating her death as a homicide.
After Johnson’s death, her son released a statement calling his mother a wonderful and kind person.
“The situation is inexplicable, no different than being struck by lightning on a cloudless day,” the statement said. “The family is at a loss for words or understanding of what happened. We would refer any questions about the investigation to the Augusta DPS, who we believe have been handling this with incredible professionalism, compassion and dedication so far.”
In May, eight months after Johnson’s death, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and the 93-year-old’s family said offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. Governor Kelly issued an executive order offering a $5,000 reward to anyone providing information leading to an arrest and conviction in the Johnson case. Johnson’s family offered to double the reward for information, bringing the total reward to $10,000.
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