Lake Dallas woman's body believed found - in a concrete filled barrel

The Dallas Morning News ^ | June 14, 2003 | By DEBRAH BONN / Denton Record-Chronicle

[MeekOneGOP]

Lake Dallas woman's body believed found

06/14/2003

By DEBRAH BONN / Denton Record-Chronicle

Oklahoma authorities have found a barrel they suspect was used to dispose of a Lake Dallas woman's body.

Police suspect that Steven Russell Wiederhold fatally stabbed Denise Ann Johnson, 23, before he placed her in the barrel. She has been missing for more than two weeks.

Authorities said her body is not visible in the barrel, which is filled with concrete.

Mr. Wiederhold, 26, of Lake Dallas was arrested on a murder warrant Thursday in Wichita, Kan. Three people with him were also arrested. Ms. Johnson's 3-year-old son was also traveling with Mr. Wiederhold.

Texas Ranger Tracy Murphree said the people detained in Kansas gave authorities directions to the barrel, which was on the side of a road in Love County in Oklahoma.

Kim Carter, an investigator with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, said an Oklahoma sheriff's deputy found the barrel.

According to an affidavit for a search warrant, Mr. Wiederhold told an acquaintance that he cut up Ms. Johnson's body and placed it in a barrel and planned to dump it in the Red River, on the Texas and Oklahoma border.

E-mail dbonn@dentonrc.com

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/061403dnmetlakedallas.87265.html

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Man held in killing of Lake Dallas woman

06/13/2003

Denton Record-Chronicle

A man suspected of stabbing to death his girlfriend in Lake Dallas, dumping her body in a concrete-filled barrel near the Red River and taking her 3-year-old son has been arrested on a murder charge in Wichita, Kansas.

Steven Russell Wiederhold, 26, was arrested Thursday afternoon in connection with the murder of Denise Ann Johnson, police said. Three-year-old Michael Johnson was found traveling with Wiederhold.

Troopers also detained two women and a man and took custody of five other children, Texas Ranger Tracy Murphree said.

Steven Wiederhold

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation searched Lake Carl Blackwell near Stillwater at the request of Texas Rangers. The Oklahoma bureau also collected evidence from a U-Haul trailer turned in at Oklahoma City. Spokeswoman Jessica Brown said no body has been found and results of the search are pending.

Lake Dallas police received a report that Wiederhold told an acquaintance Monday that he had stabbed and killed 23-year-old Johnson two weeks ago. According to an affidavit for a search warrant, the man told the acquaintance he cut up Johnson’s body and placed it in a barrel, which he then wrapped in plastic wrap. The person told police Johnson’s boyfriend said he was going to load the body in a trailer and dump it in the Red River, the affidavit said.

Denise Ann Johnson

Neighbors, co-workers and relatives said that they have not seen Johnson for at least two weeks, police said. Her son was last seen with her boyfriend and his three children on Sunday, police said.

On Tuesday, police obtained a search warrant for Johnson’s Lake Dallas apartment, where she and her boyfriend were living, and found numerous empty cellophane wrap boxes along with a large plastic container that had been used to mix concrete, according to the affidavit.

Police also observed an indentation similar to what a 55-gallon drum would make on the carpet of a closet. Several cans of empty air fresheners, sticks of burnt incense and baking soda were scattered throughout the apartment, the affidavit said.

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Amber Hamm, a friend and neighbor of Johnson since they both moved into the complex three years ago, described Johnson’s boyfriend as calm and "laid back," and said she didn’t remember the couple having many fights. She said they had been broken up for several months and recently had gotten back together.

Hamm said Johnson, whom she hadn’t seen in about a month, was four or five months pregnant.

"I knew something was up, but I just thought she was mad or trying to get away from everybody," Hamm said.

Neighbor Glenn Holland said that Johnson’s boyfriend told him on Monday that he and Johnson were moving out, and he was packing up. Neighbors saw a trailer attached to a truck parked on the lawn that afternoon.

"This is the strange thing. When people move in and out, people move through the street," said Mr. Holland, motioning to the parking lot.

"This guy backed his truck up here," he said, pointing to the grassy courtyard area between apartment buildings, which is adjacent to Johnson’s apartment door.

The Texas Department of Public Safety was asked to fly over the Red River, and authorities in counties along the river were asked to check bridges and roads dead-ending into the river for evidence that a barrel may have been thrown in.

On Tuesday, law enforcement officers learned that an Azle man had gone to authorities to report that the same man had asked him on June 1 to go with him to Denton County to help dispose of a body in a barrel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/061303dnmetmissing.26d0.html

[MeekOneGOP]

What a horrible murder. This guy will soon join the 451 Offenders currently on Texas Death Row .

I almost never post two articles on one thread like this. It seemed the best way in this case.

[ThreePuttinDude]

On Tuesday, law enforcement officers learned that an Azle man had gone to authorities to report that the same man had asked him on June 1 to go with him to Denton County to help dispose of a body in a barrel.

This is really terrible editing.

[cricket]

Why not murder and kidnapping charges?

[Pilsner]

There was a case in Lubbock about 15 years ago where a guy was murdered -- over a drug deal I think -- and his body packed into a barrel that was topped off with concrete and driven to a lake on the Texas-Oklahoma border. The murderer might have gotten away with it, but the barrell he used had previously contained some chemical that would be a disaster to dump (by the barrell full anyway) in a lake. A user of the lake was concerned enough to write down its name and report it to authorities, who turned out in full enveronmental suits to remove the barrel from the lake and open it to see if it really did have that chemical in it. They carefully documented each step so that they could prosecute the dumper for violating environmetal laws, only to findout the crime was murder, not illegal disposal of chemicals. They murderer was sent to death row.

Lesson # 1: Thou shall not kill.

Lesson # 2: If you do kill, and dump the body in a barrel in lake, make sure the barrel is stenciled "Potable Water" not "PCB."

[MizSterious]

Kind of reminds you of the Laci Peterson case.

Thanks for finding these articles--I had just posted the Daily Oklahoman's version, which is not nearly as complete as yours. I asked the AM to remove it.

For one thing, that article did not mention the fact that the victim was pregnant--something all the local television stations disclosed. This is just so very tragic, especially for the other children.

[spectre]

It more than "kind of reminds" me of the Laci Peterson case.

Wonder if the DA in Modesto has read this?

sw

[MeekOneGOP]

Murder is enough for now to get him extradited back to Texas. If they have a case for kidnapping, I'm sure they'll add those charges in later.

[MeekOneGOP]

It is a horrible crime and bad for the kids, alright. I hadn't thought about the similarities with the Laci Peterson case, but you're right.

Thanks !

[MeekOneGOP]

Horrible. It seems that using a barrel is the latest fad for the creeps. I've seen a number of cases like that lately.

[writmeister]

Why not murder and kidnapping charges?

What will probably happen is that they will merge the charges to get to capital murder and be death penalty elgible. Capital murder requires intentional murder in the course of committing another felony (like kidnapping) or intentionally murdering a member of a statutorily-protected class (like children under six, police officers ....).

They may also charge him with kidnapping the boy, but capital murder charges in connection with the woman's death is probably the stronger case.

[cricket]

"They may also charge him with kidnapping the boy, but capital murder charges in connection with the woman's death is probably the stronger case."

. . .thanks for the info and insights; sounds like Justice will be served.

[cricket]

"Murder is enough for now to get him extradited back to Texas. If they have a case for kidnapping, I'm sure they'll add those charges in later." Thanks MeeknMing; writmeister just offered same insight. . . . .

don't want anyone getting away with murder; but this case is really heinous. . .

Maybe he thought his cement was better than that used by Scott Petersen.

[MizSterious]

This one might well be charged as a double homicide, depending on how Texas defines a child still in the womb at the time of death. In some states I think the baby has to be "viable", or late term in other words, while in others I don't think that's the case. I think in Oklahoma, any baby still in the womb is considered a life. Maybe someone who's read up on Oklahoma law can clarify this?

[MizSterious]

At least, I don't recall anyone mentioning a brown van! Wouldn't that make Geragos' day??

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks MeeknMing; writmeister just offered same insight. . . . .

don't want anyone getting away with murder; but this case is really heinous. . .

Maybe he thought his cement was better than that used by Scott Petersen.

Let's get him back here to Texas, where justice is served and carried out.
This one belongs on Death Row, imho.

[MeekOneGOP]

I'm not sure about the laws in Okalhoma. But the murder occurred here in Texas and he'll be brought back here.

In any case, I feel certain this creep will be facing the death penalty for this heinous act.

[MeekOneGOP]

hehe !

[MizSterious]

Glad it's not California, or the "cement pouring accident" defense someone jokingly mentioned might have been taken seriously!!

One of the things they brought up on local teevee is that the two witnesses that ratted him out are probably in this up to their eyeteeth, too. They said they helped him kill her and dispose of her body. I worry that they've already "cut a deal" when in fact they should all be on death row.