Straight From The Hart
By Joan Rowden Hart
I’m sure most of us who read the Lebanon newspaper on a daily basis
are appalled at the number of drug stops, domestic abuse, and
break-ins that take place in Lebanon every day. I often wonder how
our law enforcement men and women keep a straight face at the stupid
statements made by the people they encounter during these incidents.
We sometimes have to laugh, wondering how dumb these people think our
officers are.
But we become very serious when we think of so many drug and alcohol
impaired drivers being out on the roads and highways at the same time
we are transporting our loved ones back and forth over those same
roads.
And we must never forget that every one of those traffic stops,
domestic disturbance calls and other 911 calls puts those officers at
tremendous risk of serious injury or the loss of their own lives, even
when the situation appears to be routine and mundane.
Such was the case on December 9, 1991 when Deputy Sheriff Leslie Roark
went to the home of James R. Johnson in northern Moniteau County,
Missouri, about 7:30 pm to investigate a domestic disturbance call.
Johnson shot Deputy Roark as he walked up on the porch. The deputy
tried to crawl back to his patrol car but Johnson stepped out on the
porch and killed him with a shot to the back of the head, execution
style.
That was the beginning of a shooting rampage that night which resulted
in the deaths of three more law enforcement officers and the wife of
another.
After killing Deputy Roark, Johnson drove to the home of Sheriff Kenny
Jones. Mrs. Jones was conducting a Bible study with a group of her
church friends and Johnson shot her through the window of her home.
She was struck several times and died at the scene.
Johnson then drove to the home of Deputy Sheriff Russell Borts in
California, Missouri, and shot him through the window while he was
talking on the telephone to the dispatcher at the Sheriff’s office.
He was struck through the hand and jaw by several bullets but survived
the attack.
After attempting to kill Deputy Borts,Johnson walked the few blocks to
the Moniteau County jail where he ambushed Cooper County Sheriff
Charles Smith just outside the jail as the sheriff was leaving to go
to his patrol car to assist officers at the Borts home. Johnson shot
and killed the Sheriff with a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle.
Sgt. Terry W. Moore of the Missouri Highway Patrol had exited the jail
with Sheriff Smith and had taken shelter behind his squad car when the
Sheriff went down. He saw Miller County Deputy Sheriff Sandra Wilson
turn the corner of the courthouse square. He heard shots ring out
again and saw Deputy Wilson stop her car and attempt to exit the
passenger side but Johnson shot her the second time and the bullet hit
her in the back. She died at the scene.
Johnson apparently never saw the trooper or, as some people thought,
he was not out to kill troopers that night, just Sheriffs and their
Deputies. He fled to a nearby home where he held the elderly female
resident hostage for the rest of the night and the next day, having
her cook a meal for him. That evening she told Johnson that someone
would be picking her up to attend a Christmas party and that her
absence would arouse suspicion.
He allowed her to leave but only if she agreed not to tell anyone he
was in her house. The man who came to pick her up was a retired
highway patrol lieutenant. He became suspicious when she didn’t want
to talk about the killer running loose and he asked her if Johnson was
in her house. She told him she had promised not to tell, but the
retired trooper took her to the police command post.
Officers immediately surrounded her house and Johnson surrendered at
7:30 that evening, exactly 24 hours after he first shot Deputy Roark.
On February 1, 1993, Johnson was convicted on four counts of First
Degree Murder after a ten day trial in the Laclede County Court House
and he was sentenced to death on all four counts.
In 1998 the Missouri State Supreme Court affirmed Johnson’s conviction
and sentence after post-conviction motions for relief were denied by
the Circuit Court. In February 2000 the United States District Court
declined Johnson’s petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus.
In June 2000 the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to review the
denial of the petition of Writ of Habeas Corpus. In March 2001 the
U.S. Supreme Court denied Johnson’s Petition for Writ of Certiorari.
James R. Johnson was executed by the State of Missouri at Petosi on
January 9, 2002.
The rest of the story: On November 16, 1996, Missouri Highway Patrol
Captain Terry W. Moore married our daughter, Mila Jo Hart, and from
that marriage Milan and I have received the gift of two beautiful
granddaughters, plus the man we call “the son-in-law from heaven”.
Rarely a day goes by that I don’t think of that night in December of
1991 when God preserved the life of State Trooper Terry W. Moore, and
what that has meant to our family.
So I thank God for that and I continue to pray every day for the
safety of our local law enforcement and emergency services personnel
as well as members of the military, and all those who come in harm’s
way by keeping the rest of us safe.
By Joan Rowden Hart
I’m sure most of us who read the Lebanon newspaper on a daily basis
are appalled at the number of drug stops, domestic abuse, and
break-ins that take place in Lebanon every day. I often wonder how
our law enforcement men and women keep a straight face at the stupid
statements made by the people they encounter during these incidents.
We sometimes have to laugh, wondering how dumb these people think our
officers are.
But we become very serious when we think of so many drug and alcohol
impaired drivers being out on the roads and highways at the same time
we are transporting our loved ones back and forth over those same
roads.
And we must never forget that every one of those traffic stops,
domestic disturbance calls and other 911 calls puts those officers at
tremendous risk of serious injury or the loss of their own lives, even
when the situation appears to be routine and mundane.
Such was the case on December 9, 1991 when Deputy Sheriff Leslie Roark
went to the home of James R. Johnson in northern Moniteau County,
Missouri, about 7:30 pm to investigate a domestic disturbance call.
Johnson shot Deputy Roark as he walked up on the porch. The deputy
tried to crawl back to his patrol car but Johnson stepped out on the
porch and killed him with a shot to the back of the head, execution
style.
That was the beginning of a shooting rampage that night which resulted
in the deaths of three more law enforcement officers and the wife of
another.
After killing Deputy Roark, Johnson drove to the home of Sheriff Kenny
Jones. Mrs. Jones was conducting a Bible study with a group of her
church friends and Johnson shot her through the window of her home.
She was struck several times and died at the scene.
Johnson then drove to the home of Deputy Sheriff Russell Borts in
California, Missouri, and shot him through the window while he was
talking on the telephone to the dispatcher at the Sheriff’s office.
He was struck through the hand and jaw by several bullets but survived
the attack.
After attempting to kill Deputy Borts,Johnson walked the few blocks to
the Moniteau County jail where he ambushed Cooper County Sheriff
Charles Smith just outside the jail as the sheriff was leaving to go
to his patrol car to assist officers at the Borts home. Johnson shot
and killed the Sheriff with a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle.
Sgt. Terry W. Moore of the Missouri Highway Patrol had exited the jail
with Sheriff Smith and had taken shelter behind his squad car when the
Sheriff went down. He saw Miller County Deputy Sheriff Sandra Wilson
turn the corner of the courthouse square. He heard shots ring out
again and saw Deputy Wilson stop her car and attempt to exit the
passenger side but Johnson shot her the second time and the bullet hit
her in the back. She died at the scene.
Johnson apparently never saw the trooper or, as some people thought,
he was not out to kill troopers that night, just Sheriffs and their
Deputies. He fled to a nearby home where he held the elderly female
resident hostage for the rest of the night and the next day, having
her cook a meal for him. That evening she told Johnson that someone
would be picking her up to attend a Christmas party and that her
absence would arouse suspicion.
He allowed her to leave but only if she agreed not to tell anyone he
was in her house. The man who came to pick her up was a retired
highway patrol lieutenant. He became suspicious when she didn’t want
to talk about the killer running loose and he asked her if Johnson was
in her house. She told him she had promised not to tell, but the
retired trooper took her to the police command post.
Officers immediately surrounded her house and Johnson surrendered at
7:30 that evening, exactly 24 hours after he first shot Deputy Roark.
On February 1, 1993, Johnson was convicted on four counts of First
Degree Murder after a ten day trial in the Laclede County Court House
and he was sentenced to death on all four counts.
In 1998 the Missouri State Supreme Court affirmed Johnson’s conviction
and sentence after post-conviction motions for relief were denied by
the Circuit Court. In February 2000 the United States District Court
declined Johnson’s petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus.
In June 2000 the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to review the
denial of the petition of Writ of Habeas Corpus. In March 2001 the
U.S. Supreme Court denied Johnson’s Petition for Writ of Certiorari.
James R. Johnson was executed by the State of Missouri at Petosi on
January 9, 2002.
The rest of the story: On November 16, 1996, Missouri Highway Patrol
Captain Terry W. Moore married our daughter, Mila Jo Hart, and from
that marriage Milan and I have received the gift of two beautiful
granddaughters, plus the man we call “the son-in-law from heaven”.
Rarely a day goes by that I don’t think of that night in December of
1991 when God preserved the life of State Trooper Terry W. Moore, and
what that has meant to our family.
So I thank God for that and I continue to pray every day for the
safety of our local law enforcement and emergency services personnel
as well as members of the military, and all those who come in harm’s
way by keeping the rest of us safe.
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