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Sarah
Marie JOHNSON |
The defendant openly displayed her emotions at various points in
trial testimony, scowling
in disagreement or smiling at
complimentary remarks made about her.
Sarah Johnson reacted strongly to several points prosecutors made
in their closings, Blaine
County prosecuting attorney Jim Thomas'
claim that she had a reputation for embellishing
the facts. For
example, she allegedly told a hairdresser that her boyfriend, Bruno
Santos,
was a 23-year-old restaurant owner.
Sarah Johnson
Sarah Johnson
Sarah M. Johnson, who was
convicted of murdering her parents two years ago in their
Bellevue
home,
was comforted earlier in the trial by an investigator
working with her defense attorneys.
(Photo by Willy Cook)
Sarah Johnson entered the courtroom crying before the verdict was
announced and
continued to sob as the two guilty verdicts were read.
Johnson returned to Blaine County for the penalty phase of the
trial, in which members of
her family asked Fifth District Judge
Barry Wood to impose the maximum sentence
of life without parole,
citing fear of retribution and her lack of remorse.
Judge Wood elaborated for more than an hour in open court before
handing Johnson the
maximum sentence of life without parole. Wood
noted that the attacks were unprovoked
and unpredictable, which he
said made her even more dangerous than a typical offender.
Sarah Johnson
Johnson maintained her innocence in her parents' deaths. "I loved
my parents, and I love
my family. I am deeply grieving the loss of
my parents as well as the loss of my family,
my home, my friends and
my community," Johnson said in a final statement to the court
in the
penalty phase. "With the guidance of the Lord and the continued love
and support of
those who believe in me, I hope to rebuild my life
and prove that I can be a productive
member of society."
Convicted murderer Sarah Johnson listens to her attorney,
Christopher Simms, Tuesday
Dec. 7, 2010 in a Twin Falls, Idaho
courtroom during her hearing to have her 2005
conviction for
murdering
her parents overturned.
(Ashley Smith photo)
Sarah Johnson
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