Letter to the Editor

Johnia's case has reached quite far over the past 19 months. Nancy Grace has covered the story a few times, America's Most Wanted continues to want to air the case, and both 48 Hours and the CBS Early Show have shown great interest in profiling Johnia's case (I even met with producers from that show while in New York).

But, a few things remain:

1) The case is unsolved
2) Sheriff Tim Hutchison still refuses to cooperate with AMW (or 48 Hours / Early Show for that matter)

Now, I know what the sheriff has said. "We never said no to doing America's Most Wanted. But we feel that the killer is still in the Knoxville area."

So, with that, I pass along a letter of frustration from a person who has followed Johnia's case by way of this site, or through the media.

Link to "Letter to Editor" in Knoxville News Sentinel

Many things have happened since Johnia's murder back in 2004, but finding the responsible person is not one of them.

It's terrible enough that my mother lost her youngest child, her baby, but now she must wake up every single day, climb out of bed and continue her fight for Johnia's justice. It seems that at every turn, she is opposed by the one person who you would think might be able to show the strongest support - the sheriff of Knox County.

Instead, a road that's already hard enough to travel is now lined with unnecessary obstacles.

Why doesn't the sheriff just ask the TBI to come in and look at the case details?

Why? There's no good reason. Absolutely none. Even if Hutchison believes in his heart that his department has done all it can, what would it hurt to allow the TBI to have a look at the case? If anything, it might bring a little relief to a family that is already completely stricken with grief and sorrow that will never fully go away.

I'm sure that Tim Hutchison knows what it feels like to lose a loved one. I'm sure of it.

What I don't know is whether or not he's lost someone close to him like the way our family lost Johnia. Being a policeman takes a bit of removing yourself emotionally from the crime. It's a tough job, to be sure, but it can't hurt to do something every now and then to help the victims, or the family members who have been left behind to fight for justice.

As Joan's son and Johnia's brother, I would like to say this to the sheriff:

Please allow the TBI to come in and look at the case. Please. My family has suffered enough over the past 19 months. Asking the TBI to have a look at Johnia's murder might just bring a speck of relief to a woman, my mother, who has grieved since the early morning hours of December 6, 2004.

And, you never know --- it might just bring justice for Johnia.