On Thursday, September 28, an unimaginable incident occurred in Mobile County, Alabama, leaving the community devastated. Local authorities reported that a mother, identified as 37-year-old Nancy Johnson, drowned her two children before tragically ending her own life. The Mobile County Sheriff, Paul Burch, described the event as “horrific.”
Preliminary investigations revealed that the children, Jacob Johnson, 2, and Mia Johnson, 5, were drowned in the bathroom. Additionally, Mia had sustained a knife injury to her throat. Nancy Johnson was found hanged from a hallway closet rod, securing herself with a silk belt. Upon conducting autopsies, it was confirmed that drowning was the cause of death for the children, with Mia’s death further complicated by the loss of blood from her knife wound.
The grisly crime scene was described by Semmes Police Chief Todd Friend as both brutal and uncommon. The children were discovered on a sofa by their father, Derek Johnson, at their Semmes, Alabama, home. After being submerged in water, they had been meticulously cleaned up and then covered with a blanket. As the investigation unfolds, no charges will be filed against Derek Johnson.
Sheriff Burch emphasized the importance of introspection within the social service system, hinting at possible oversights that might have contributed to this tragic event. Semmes Police Chief Friend disclosed that the police had responded to multiple domestic calls at the Johnson residence in recent months, indicating a troubled environment. Nancy and Derek Johnson were amidst a divorce and custody battle, with Nancy’s mental health issues evident in court records.
Derek filed for divorce in Mobile County, following a protection-from-abuse order obtained by Nancy in Utah in August. Despite their tumultuous situation, joint custody was granted to both parents by Judge Walter Honeycutt. The court order mandated “protective supervision” by the Alabama Department of Human Resources for the children. Additionally, Derek had arranged to place a camper trailer in the backyard, where both parents would sleep on alternating weeks while caring for their children. This new arrangement was scheduled to commence on October 1.
