Michael Johnson (Serial Killer)
Chicago Serial Killer and Rapist
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
Chicago, Illinois
TIME PERIOD
2008-2010
VICTIMS
4 confirmed
Michael A. Johnson Jr., an American serial killer and rapist, committed a series of brutal crimes between August 2008 and May 2010 in Chicago, Illinois, where he murdered at least four women, primarily sex workers, and disposed of their bodies in abandoned buildings across the South Side. Johnson was apprehended on May 30, 2010, following the survival of a victim who reported his assault to law enforcement. He was initially sentenced to 90 years in prison for aggravated criminal sexual assault and attempted murder, which was later reduced to 85 years, and in 2015, he received an additional 100-year sentence for the rape and murder of another victim. Significant evidence includes the survivor's testimony, DNA evidence linking him to the crime scenes, and the discovery of the victims' remains in locations he frequented. Johnson is currently serving a total of 185 years in prison.
Some believe that Michael Johnson's violent behavior may stem from his traumatic childhood, including severe neglect and abuse from his mother. Others speculate that his physical disability, being born missing three fingers, may have contributed to feelings of inadequacy or anger that manifested in his criminal actions. Additionally, there are theories suggesting that Johnson may have had accomplices or that his crimes were part of a larger pattern of violence against women in the South Side of Chicago.
Michael Johnson: The Chicago Serial Killer
Early Life and Troubled Beginnings
Born on September 5, 1985, Michael A. Johnson Jr. entered the world with the odds already stacked against him. Hailing from the South Side of Chicago, Johnson was born missing three fingers on his right hand, a malady likely caused by his mother's drug use during pregnancy. His early years were marked by hardship and neglect. When Michael was just five years old, his father abandoned the family, leaving him and his six siblings under the care of their mother, a woman who frequently wielded electrical cords as instruments of discipline and kept her children confined to their home, denying them an education. The family struggled financially, and as a means of survival, Michael's mother turned to prostitution. Meanwhile, Michael often found himself begging for food at local corner stores.
In 2006, a glimmer of hope appeared in Michael's life when he met Tena Anderson at a friend's birthday party. Their relationship quickly blossomed, and by the following year, they welcomed a child into the world. Michael managed to secure a job at FedEx in April 2008, but soon found himself homeless and eventually lost his job due to financial struggles.
The Murders Begin
The descent into darkness began a few months after losing his job. It was at a gas station where Michael encountered a 43-year-old sex worker. He persuaded her to engage in sexual activities for money, leading her to a foreclosed home he once lived in. However, when she refused to perform a specific act, Michael's rage took over. He brutally attacked her, choking her into unconsciousness, sexually assaulting her, and then callously throwing her off a second-story balcony. He left her battered body in an alleyway, assuming she was dead, but she survived, albeit with a collapsed lung, a lacerated liver, and permanent scars.
Two months later, in November 2008, Michael struck again, this time targeting 38-year-old Eureka Jackson. He strangled her to death and left her body in a boarded-up building on the border of the West Pullman neighborhood. Her body was discovered with her shirt tied around her neck and attached to a closet door handle. Following this murder, Michael took a chilling year-long hiatus.
In January 2010, the killing resumed. This time, Leslie Brown became his victim. Michael strangled her and discarded her nude body at 119th and Wentworth, where a passerby later found it frozen. The violence continued in March when Michael attacked Candice Franklin in the Roseland neighborhood. He choked her into unconsciousness, raped her, and left her to die. Miraculously, she survived, albeit with severe injuries. Later that same month, Michael strangled 30-year-old Siobhan "Shay" Hampton to death, leaving her body discarded near Harold's Chicken Shack. In May, he claimed his final victim, 29-year-old Lutelda Hudson, who was also strangled.
Arrest and Investigation
Candice Franklin, having recovered from her ordeal, returned to the streets to earn money. It was there she spotted Michael once again. Recognizing her attacker, she fled, but he pursued her. She managed to reach her boyfriend's home, forcing Michael to retreat. A few weeks later, fate intervened, and Candice saw Michael on the streets again. This time, she called her boyfriend, who confronted Michael. Police quickly arrived and arrested him. A DNA swab linked him conclusively to the crime scene. Authorities had been on Michael's trail, as his DNA had matched evidence from three of the four murders. Soon, it tied him to the fourth as well. He was charged with four murders and the attempted murder of Franklin.
Trial and Imprisonment
In March 2014, Michael was convicted for attacking Franklin and received a 90-year prison sentence. During sentencing, the prosecution emphasized the irrefutable DNA evidence linking him to the four murders. On appeal, his sentence for aggravated battery was reduced from 10 years to 5. However, in 2015, he faced justice once more, receiving a 100-year sentence for Leslie Brown's murder. As of now, Michael has yet to stand trial for the other three murders, but his imprisonment totals 185 years.
Sources
- "Suspected serial killer/rapist gets another 100 years in prison" - WFLD
- Steve Schmadeke, "Helping catch a killer," Chicago Tribune, October 1, 2015.
- Dan Simmons & Cynthia Dizikes, "Prostitute survives attack, tips police," Chicago Tribune, May 31, 2010.
- Annie Sweeney & Duaa Eldieb, "4 strangulations may be linked, police say," Chicago Tribune, May 19, 2010.
- Jeremy Gorner & Duaa Eldeib, "Man charged in 3 slayings," Chicago Tribune, May 31, 2010.
- "Suspected serial killer charged in women's murders," WLS-TV, May 30, 2010.
- "People v. Johnson, 2017 IL App (1st) 141202-U" (PDF), February 16, 2017.
For more detailed information, visit Wikipedia: Michael Johnson (serial killer).
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First Attack
Michael Johnson attacks a sex worker, leaving her for dead but she survives.
Second Murder
Johnson strangles and kills Eureka Jackson, discarding her body in a boarded-up building.
Third Murder
Johnson strangles Leslie Brown and dumps her body, which is later found frozen.
Survivor's Attack
Johnson attacks Candice Franklin, who later survives and identifies him.
Fourth Murder
Johnson strangles Siobhan Hampton and discards her body near a local restaurant.
Arrest
Michael Johnson is arrested after Candice Franklin identifies him; DNA links him to the murders.
First Conviction
Johnson is convicted for the attack on Candice Franklin and sentenced to 90 years.
Second Conviction
Johnson is sentenced to 100 years for the murder of Leslie Brown.
Michael A. Johnson Jr., an American serial killer and rapist, committed a series of brutal crimes between August 2008 and May 2010 in Chicago, Illinois, where he murdered at least four women, primarily sex workers, and disposed of their bodies in abandoned buildings across the South Side. Johnson was apprehended on May 30, 2010, following the survival of a victim who reported his assault to law enforcement. He was initially sentenced to 90 years in prison for aggravated criminal sexual assault and attempted murder, which was later reduced to 85 years, and in 2015, he received an additional 100-year sentence for the rape and murder of another victim. Significant evidence includes the survivor's testimony, DNA evidence linking him to the crime scenes, and the discovery of the victims' remains in locations he frequented. Johnson is currently serving a total of 185 years in prison.
Some believe that Michael Johnson's violent behavior may stem from his traumatic childhood, including severe neglect and abuse from his mother. Others speculate that his physical disability, being born missing three fingers, may have contributed to feelings of inadequacy or anger that manifested in his criminal actions. Additionally, there are theories suggesting that Johnson may have had accomplices or that his crimes were part of a larger pattern of violence against women in the South Side of Chicago.
Michael Johnson: The Chicago Serial Killer
Early Life and Troubled Beginnings
Born on September 5, 1985, Michael A. Johnson Jr. entered the world with the odds already stacked against him. Hailing from the South Side of Chicago, Johnson was born missing three fingers on his right hand, a malady likely caused by his mother's drug use during pregnancy. His early years were marked by hardship and neglect. When Michael was just five years old, his father abandoned the family, leaving him and his six siblings under the care of their mother, a woman who frequently wielded electrical cords as instruments of discipline and kept her children confined to their home, denying them an education. The family struggled financially, and as a means of survival, Michael's mother turned to prostitution. Meanwhile, Michael often found himself begging for food at local corner stores.
In 2006, a glimmer of hope appeared in Michael's life when he met Tena Anderson at a friend's birthday party. Their relationship quickly blossomed, and by the following year, they welcomed a child into the world. Michael managed to secure a job at FedEx in April 2008, but soon found himself homeless and eventually lost his job due to financial struggles.
The Murders Begin
The descent into darkness began a few months after losing his job. It was at a gas station where Michael encountered a 43-year-old sex worker. He persuaded her to engage in sexual activities for money, leading her to a foreclosed home he once lived in. However, when she refused to perform a specific act, Michael's rage took over. He brutally attacked her, choking her into unconsciousness, sexually assaulting her, and then callously throwing her off a second-story balcony. He left her battered body in an alleyway, assuming she was dead, but she survived, albeit with a collapsed lung, a lacerated liver, and permanent scars.
Two months later, in November 2008, Michael struck again, this time targeting 38-year-old Eureka Jackson. He strangled her to death and left her body in a boarded-up building on the border of the West Pullman neighborhood. Her body was discovered with her shirt tied around her neck and attached to a closet door handle. Following this murder, Michael took a chilling year-long hiatus.
In January 2010, the killing resumed. This time, Leslie Brown became his victim. Michael strangled her and discarded her nude body at 119th and Wentworth, where a passerby later found it frozen. The violence continued in March when Michael attacked Candice Franklin in the Roseland neighborhood. He choked her into unconsciousness, raped her, and left her to die. Miraculously, she survived, albeit with severe injuries. Later that same month, Michael strangled 30-year-old Siobhan "Shay" Hampton to death, leaving her body discarded near Harold's Chicken Shack. In May, he claimed his final victim, 29-year-old Lutelda Hudson, who was also strangled.
Arrest and Investigation
Candice Franklin, having recovered from her ordeal, returned to the streets to earn money. It was there she spotted Michael once again. Recognizing her attacker, she fled, but he pursued her. She managed to reach her boyfriend's home, forcing Michael to retreat. A few weeks later, fate intervened, and Candice saw Michael on the streets again. This time, she called her boyfriend, who confronted Michael. Police quickly arrived and arrested him. A DNA swab linked him conclusively to the crime scene. Authorities had been on Michael's trail, as his DNA had matched evidence from three of the four murders. Soon, it tied him to the fourth as well. He was charged with four murders and the attempted murder of Franklin.
Trial and Imprisonment
In March 2014, Michael was convicted for attacking Franklin and received a 90-year prison sentence. During sentencing, the prosecution emphasized the irrefutable DNA evidence linking him to the four murders. On appeal, his sentence for aggravated battery was reduced from 10 years to 5. However, in 2015, he faced justice once more, receiving a 100-year sentence for Leslie Brown's murder. As of now, Michael has yet to stand trial for the other three murders, but his imprisonment totals 185 years.
Sources
- "Suspected serial killer/rapist gets another 100 years in prison" - WFLD
- Steve Schmadeke, "Helping catch a killer," Chicago Tribune, October 1, 2015.
- Dan Simmons & Cynthia Dizikes, "Prostitute survives attack, tips police," Chicago Tribune, May 31, 2010.
- Annie Sweeney & Duaa Eldieb, "4 strangulations may be linked, police say," Chicago Tribune, May 19, 2010.
- Jeremy Gorner & Duaa Eldeib, "Man charged in 3 slayings," Chicago Tribune, May 31, 2010.
- "Suspected serial killer charged in women's murders," WLS-TV, May 30, 2010.
- "People v. Johnson, 2017 IL App (1st) 141202-U" (PDF), February 16, 2017.
For more detailed information, visit Wikipedia: Michael Johnson (serial killer).
No Recent News
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No Evidence Submitted
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First Attack
Michael Johnson attacks a sex worker, leaving her for dead but she survives.
Second Murder
Johnson strangles and kills Eureka Jackson, discarding her body in a boarded-up building.
Third Murder
Johnson strangles Leslie Brown and dumps her body, which is later found frozen.
Survivor's Attack
Johnson attacks Candice Franklin, who later survives and identifies him.
Fourth Murder
Johnson strangles Siobhan Hampton and discards her body near a local restaurant.
Arrest
Michael Johnson is arrested after Candice Franklin identifies him; DNA links him to the murders.
First Conviction
Johnson is convicted for the attack on Candice Franklin and sentenced to 90 years.
Second Conviction
Johnson is sentenced to 100 years for the murder of Leslie Brown.