Posted on 05/06/2005 3:07:04 PM PDT by SmithL
Muskogee, Okla -- The tipster who helped crack the case of a beheaded 4-year-old girl went to police with his suspicions nearly a year ago and recently tricked the child's mother into providing a hair sample that he taped to a photograph and mailed to Kansas City, a community activist said Friday.
Police would not comment on what role the hair sample may have played in the arrests of Michelle M. Johnson, 30, and Harrell Johnson, 25, the girl's stepfather. The two agreed Friday to be returned to Kansas City to face murder charges.
Some of the hair came from the mother's brush, and she gave some of it to the tipster after he told her he would put it in a Bible under the 23rd Psalm to bring her good luck, said Alonzo Washington, a Kansas City community activist who has long championed efforts to identify the girl.
Washington said the tipster, who does not want his name released, first contacted police nearly a year ago and gave them all the pertinent details about the case, but investigators did not believe him.
"He is very clever, but he is not the most articulate-sounding person, and I think that made them dismiss him," Washington said. "They probably thought 'This is some Okie from Muskogee, and he doesn't know what he's talking about.'"
The child, who was almost 4 when she was found in 2001, was identified by police Thursday as Erica Michelle Marie Green. Her body was found near an intersection in Kansas City in 2001. Days later, her head was found nearby, wrapped in a trash bag. Police say the girl's head was cut off with a pair of hedge clippers.
Police knocked on doors in the neighborhood and even went to the house where the Johnsons were staying,
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Ping
What's scary is how near they came to completely getting away with the crime. That poor little child.
bump
As for the perps, there's a very special place in Hell for child murderers.
bttt
According to court papers, Harrell Johnson beat the girl one night in April 2001 and the couple left her unconscious on the floor for two days. They did not seek medical help, the mother said, because both had warrants out for their arrest.
If I wrote what I am thinking right now I would probably be banned from Free Republic for profanity.
Local TV news here in Oklahoma City said the tipster was the child's grandfather.
G-d Bless the tipster who refused to give up.
Yeah, you and me both.
"A real hero in a sad story."
Amen, two of them really "the tipster" and that fellow Washington. Thank goodness some people cared about this poor child and made an effort to get justice for her. And the cops, of course.
Now, my question: I thought that children were hand & foot printed at birth, are these records not searchable? Or was this child not born at a hospital?
Can anyone clear this up for me?
Also interesting to note that the man was her step-father (no offense good step fathers out there!), I had seen him described as her natural father before in recent stories about this.
These two career criminals should be executed, and the world will be a better place for it.
"Local TV news here in Oklahoma City said the tipster was the child's grandfather."
No wonder he's not so articulate, he's faced an unutterable sadness.
The only solice I find is that where they are headed it is not going to be real nice,like the furthest depths of Hades!
Has anyone done the math on the mother? The little girl's natural father said they were together for 15 years and had 5 children. She married the step-father 3 or 4 years ago and has 3 children with him. She is 30 years old. So how old was she when she first "got together" with the first guy started having babies? It adds up to very young.
That being said, I hope there is a special place in Hell waiting for the mother (gagging here when I call her that) and step-father. I'm sure little Erica has a special place in Heaven.
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