A mother and her two young children were found murdered Thursday at this home at 9863 Evergreen Court, just off Snow Road in Semmes. (Arthur L. Mack/Call News)
By ARTHUR L. MACK
Two young children and their mother were found murdered in a home off Snow Road Thursday and the estranged husband was taken in for questioning, authorities said.
The Semmes Police Department and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office found the bodies of Mia Johnson, 5, Jacob Johnson, 2, and Nancy Johnson, 37, in a home at 9863 Evergreen Court, just off Snow Road. Johnson’s husband, Derek Johnson, found the bodies and called 911 to report the killings. Johnson, who had been involved in past domestic violence calls with his wife, according to Semmes police chief Todd Freind, was taken in for questioning.
“This is definitely not a typical homicide scene,” Freind said. “It’s more brutal than normal.”
Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said deputies responded to the residence at the request of the Semmes Police Department.
“The children were clearly murdered and the mother was murdered as well,” Burch said.
Burch said none of the victims were shot but Freind said there was a history of domestic violence between Derek and Nancy Johnson.
“We had a lot of domestic disturbance calls out here from the couple, so we understand there’s a protection from abuse for the husband as well but it’s from another state,” Freind said. “It has not been enforced down here.”
Freind said the domestic violence calls from the residence ranged from harassment to physical violence made by the husband and wife.
“I understand they were in the process of a divorce but that’s all I can say right now,” Burch said. “We don’t know exactly what the deal with the mom is yet. To our knowledge, there was no gun involved. We won’t know any more about the mom until an autopsy is conducted and that’ll guide us as to where we’re going to go with the investigation. No matter how long you do this, when there’s children involved, it’s tough.”
