Logan County man charged in slaying

A Logan County man was charged with first-degree murder Friday in the slaying of his ex-wife Wednesday.

A felony complaint filed in Logan County Circuit Court in Paris stated that Joshua Johnson, 38, is scheduled to appear for arraignment April 11.

He was being held without bail in the Logan County jail.

Johnson of New Blaine is accused of shooting his exwife, Lora Karras, 30, three times with a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with buckshot, according to an arrest warrant affidavit filed with the charge. Police said Karras died at the scene.

According to the affidavit, Karras was in her home at 236 Rodeo Arena Road west of Scranton about 4 p.m. Wednesday with her two daughters, her son and Johnson’s brother Fred, who had been living at the home since his release from prison.

They saw Joshua Johnson, who his wife, Jennifer, said had been drinking, drive up to the house in a pickup, and Karras stepped out of the house into the garage with Fred Johnson behind her. Karras’ daughter Heather Freeman, 15, watched Joshua Johnson approach the garage, according to the affidavit.

Fred Johnson told investigators that his brother walked into the garage andshot Karras. According to the affidavit, Karras had wounds in her head and back.

The children inside the house began screaming, and Fred Johnson told them to go hide in other rooms while Joshua Johnson stood in the front yard in a daze, Fred Johnson said.

Fred Johnson said he yelled at his brother, “Stop, you don’t have to do this,” and his brother replied, “I don’t want to shoot you.” He then walked back into the garage, and Fred Johnson said he heard two more shots.

At that point, he said, he gathered up the children and fled from the house, hiding behind a hay bale in a field,according to the affidavit. He then took the children to a neighbor who drove them to their grandmother’s home.

Fred Johnson returned to the house, he told investigators, and arrived as his brother was surrendering to deputies who had responded to the 911 call Freeman made as they ran from the house.

Investigators talked to Jennifer Johnson, who said her husband and Karras had argued in the past about custody of the children. She said her husband also had been angry about the military and finances, but the only person he had ever threatened to harm was himself, according to the affidavit.