Nancy Johnson, Semmes, Alabama mom found dead along with her two young children amid divorce drama with estranged husband as questions surrounding their murders are raised.
**Update: Sheriff Paul Burch says mom, Nancy Johnson, drowned her two young children before hanging herself. He said her husband was not involved.
Mobile County Sheriff, Paul Burch, reported that the husband found the bodies of his children covered by blankets on the couch and it has been determined they passed from drowning, and Johnson had hanged herself. Burch went on to say that the husband had been cooperative and they have been able to corroborate his timeline of his day. Sheriff Burch added the husband has been 100% truthful and he hoped social media gossip about him would stop.
Sheriff Burch went on to explain that Johnson had left a suitcase with a small amount of money and a note alluding that if anything happened to her, to suspect her husband. This, combined with the fact that the husband had been arrested on domestic violence charges last week after breaking in the home in an attempt to take the children, apparently made the mother believe that people would just listen to her note.
However court records indicate at the time of the arrest the husband claimed a DHR worker had warned him his wife was unfit and not safe for minor children to be around.
Police had responded to residence no less than 6-8 months in the six months family lived at residence
After a months long battle in courts, the parents had been awarded joint custody on Tuesday and a judge had ordered they alternate living in a camper in the back of the home while sharing custody. Leaving one parent in the house with the children when it was their turn with the children while the other stayed in the camper.
### Original story: Authorities are seeking to understand the ‘brutal’ murders of two young children along with the death of their mother at an Alabama home, who may have or may not have been responsible for the children’s deaths.
The two children — a 2-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl — were found dead in the Evergreen Court home in Semmes, along with their 37-year-old mother on Thursday. Information on the manner of death has not been disclosed.
Authorities had yet to determine whether the mother committed suicide or was also murdered, WPMI reported.
Sheriff Paul Burch identified the mother and children as 37-year-old Nancy Johnson, 6-year-old Mia Johnson and 2-year-old Jacob Johnson. Burch believes Mia struggled to stay alive while trying to defend herself, suggesting that the mother had also been murdered alongside her two young children.
‘I would say she put up a fight,’ Burch told WPMI.
Burch says the children were killed in a different manner than their mother, but he did not disclose how they were killed. Burch says they were not shot.
‘It was more horrific than that,’ Burch said. ‘I’ll just leave it at that.’
Johnson’s estranged husband was staying in a camper in the backyard and was the one who reported finding the bodies Thursday morning. The family had only lived at the residence for six months according to ‘shocked’ neighbors.
Semmes police chief Todd Freind said his department had responded to the Evergreen Court address up to six to eight occasions for domestic incidents. Freind noted there being an active protection from abuse order out of Utah.
It wasn’t clear whether that order was against the estranged husband, who Burch said was still at the scene when deputies arrived.
‘They both told me they were going through a divorce, and it was getting ugly and all that. I didn’t know it would go to this,’ said neighbor Rick Hamilton.
Estranged husband Derek Johnson filed for divorce twice this year. He filed for the first time in April. The couple reconciled in June, but he filed again for divorce in August. He accused Nancy of leaving with the children and petitioned the court to see her psychiatric records. Earlier this month, Semmes Police arrested Derek for violating a protection from abuse order, WSFA reported.
Estranged husband cooperating – but will he face charges?
‘We’ve been over here numerous times for domestics, and she’s called numerous times concerned for her children’s welfare. There is an active PFA out of the state of Utah,’ Freind said.
Numerous court documents detailed a lot of trouble between the children’s mother and father.
In one particular court document, which was filed in June, the children’s father claims a DHR worker told him she was concerned about Nancy Johnson’s mental health and the children’s safety.
The document stated, ‘The DHR worker informed the Defendant (the father) that they do not feel it is safe for the minor children to remain in the care and custody of the Plaintiff (the mother).’
The court documents also said the father was trying to get custody of the children, but just a couple of weeks later, another court document shows the couple agreed to go to counseling instead.
According to court documents, Nancy Johnson and her husband married in 2016, prior to seeking divorce earlier this year. Records also indicated the estranged wife taking out a restraining order against her husband out of fear for her life.
The sheriff said the estranged husband was cooperating with authorities and was not a suspect at this point, while stressing that the investigation had just begun.
It remained unclear whether any charges would be brought against the man.
Detectives continued to await the result of Nancy Johnson’s autopsy as it continued to remain unclear whether the mom was murdered or killed herself.
