A 50-year prison sentence was handed to a Baltimore woman after her niece and nephew’s remains were found in the trunk of her car during a traffic stop.
Nicole Michelle Johnson was convicted for the deaths of 7-year-old Joshlyn Marie James Johnson and 5-year-old Larry Darnell O’Neal, whose bodies were uncovered in 2021, as stated by the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office and CBS News.
Johnson was pulled over by the police on July 28, 2021, for driving without a license. It was during this traffic stop that the authorities came across a fake temporary tag and registration in her possession. Upon being informed by an officer that her car would be towed and issued a citation, Johnson allegedly remarked, “It don’t matter, I won’t be here in five days,” and “Y’all going to see me on the news making my big debut.”
While preparing to tow the vehicle, the officer noticed a foul odor coming from the trunk, where the bodies were discovered—one in a plastic tote bag and the other in a suitcase. When the officer found the first body, Johnson allegedly attempted to flee the scene.
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During police questioning, Johnson reportedly admitted to hitting Joshlyn several times in May 2020, which caused the girl to fall and hit her head. She claimed to have placed Larry’s body in the trunk alongside his sister’s remains a year later but did not disclose how he died. Johnson had taken her niece and nephew from their mother, her sister, at the mother’s request in 2019.
Johnson’s sister, Dachelle Johnson, told police that she had not been able to contact her sister since 2019 and was unaware of her children’s deaths until authorities informed her.
In August 2024, Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of child abuse resulting in the death of a victim under 13, according to the Dayton Daily News.
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