Sentence 40 years in ex-wife's death

Guilty verdict returned in 40 minutes

PARIS -- A Logan County man was sentenced to 40 years in prison Tuesday after he was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2014 shotgun slaying of his ex-wife.

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A Logan County Circuit Court jury of eight women and four men deliberated for about 40 minutes before returning the verdict. Jurors deliberated another 30 minutes before returning with the sentence recommendation. Circuit Judge Jerry Don Ramey followed the jury's recommendation in sentencing Johnson.

First-degree murder is punishable by 10 to 40 years in prison or life without parole.

Before being sentenced, Johnson apologized to members of Lora Karras' family who sat at his back in the audience throughout the four-day trial.

Prosecuting Attorney Tom Tatum II said because he was convicted of first-degree murder, Johnson will have to serve 70 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. With credit for the 741 days he was in the county jail since his arrest, Johnson will serve 26 years before he is eligible for parole, Tatum said.

Johnson, 40, was accused of shooting Karras, 30, three times with a 12-gauge shotgun outside her Scranton home March 19, 2014, while two of her children were present.

Surrendering to deputies who answered the 911 call, Johnson confessed the shooting to investigators. His defense team pursued an insanity defense, claiming he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and alcohol dependence and could not stop himself.

In closing arguments Tuesday, Tatum told jurors he believed Johnson was obsessed with his ex-wife. After their divorce, he seemed to center on her life, the child support he paid to her and his concerns for the safety of their children in her household.

Describing the day of the shooting, Tatum said Johnson's wife at the time, Jennifer, had left him because of his drinking. He said Johnson didn't shoot Jennifer, instead blaming Karras.

He also pointed out a jury instruction read by Ramey that said voluntary intoxication was not a defense to any crime in Arkansas.

The testimony during the trial was that Johnson had consumed three 25-ounce bottles of beer and a six-pack about three hours before shooting Karras. A blood sample taken shortly after his arrest showed he had blood alcohol level of 0.19 percent. A blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent is the intoxication limit in Arkansas.

In her closing argument for Johnson, Fort Smith attorney Aubrey Barr reminded jurors of forensic psychologist John Fabian's testimony that Johnson had developed post-traumatic stress disorder from emotional and physical abuse as a child and while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan in the military.

The cumulative effect of his childhood, military trauma and troubles he faced after his service came together like the alignment of planets and Johnson snapped and couldn't stop himself from killing Karras, Fabian had said.

Johnson's post-traumatic stress was not an excuse, Barr said, it was a mental illness.

During the penalty phase of the trial, the jury heard testimony about Johnson's military service from others who had served with him.

Arkansas Army National Guard Lt. Col. Derald Neugebauer of Vilonia testified that Johnson earned an Army Commendation Medal, Bronze Star and Good Conduct Medal for his service as a combat engineer platoon leader in one Middle East deployment.

Staff Sgt. Jorge Moran of Bentonville and Sgt. Jennifer Looney of Rogers, who served with Johnson overseas, testified Johnson was a good soldier and an outstanding leader who was relied on for good advice. They described him as a friend and a good person who made a terrible mistake.

Barr said in her final argument to the jury that, despite being convicted of first-degree murder, Johnson remained diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

State Desk on 03/30/2016

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