Grisly Details Revealed In Murder of 93-Year-Old Woman Allegedly Killed by Two 14-Year-Old Girls

Speaking with KWCH on the one-year anniversary of mom Joanne Johnson's murder, Tim Johnson claimed the coroner's report said she was beaten to death with a hatchet. He then went on to share what it was like to discover her body after her murder.

"It's not something that you imagine. My mom was just a couple of weeks shy of 94 years old. She lived in a quiet, peaceful neighborhood, a safe neighborhood. I still think that it's a safe neighborhood and a safe town," he told the outlet. "But when we walked inside, she was literally unrecognizable."

"If we hadn't seen her tennis shoes, I wouldn't have recognized who she was," he added.

Johnson, who lived alone, was found dead in her Augusta, Kansas home on September 3, 2023. Not many details about how she died have been revealed by authorities -- though the victim's family said "the murder was brutal and punishment should be severe."

In August 2024, two 14-year-old girls -- whose names have not been released because they are juveniles -- were arrested and charged with Johnson's murder. Like the victim, the two suspects are also from Augusta.

A man claiming to be the father of one of the teens spoke with local news station KAKE over the phone after the arrest, reportedly telling the outlet he sat with his daughter while police interviewed her about the murder.

"He said his daughter said she and her friend were walking in a park on the day of the murder when a white man came up to them and 'coerced' them into going to Johnson's home," reported the outlet. "She said the man grabbed a rusty axe from Johnson's garage and beat Johnson to death."

"The father said his daughter held her hands over her friend's ears so she couldn't hear what was happening, and that the man had told the girls he would kill them and their families if they told anyone what happened," the outlet continued, with the man reportedly saying the "once active, outgoing teenagers were now quiet and reserved and he had no idea why."

The pair entered not guilty pleas in juvenile court last week; the judge denied a motion to release the affidavit and charging documents in the case, so details will continue to remain sparse.

According to the prosecutor's office, via KAKE, because the two were only 13 at the time of the murder, they can't be charged as adults under Kansas law.