Father of 14-year-old girl arrested for murder in Augusta speaks out | Home

AUGUSTA, Kansas (KAKE) – A quiet street in Augusta was the scene of a gruesome crime over Labor Day weekend 2023. Police say a family member found 93-year-old Joanne Johnson dead in her home. The mystery of who killed her gripped the city for nearly a year.

This week, the KBI announced the arrest of two 14-year-old freshmen girls at Augusta High School. Both are accused of first-degree murder in Johnson's death.

The girls' father said he had no idea his daughter was involved in the murder and still doesn't believe it. KAKE's Deb Farris spoke with him by phone Friday night. He told Deb he sat with his daughter while she was being questioned by police. He said his daughter said she and her friend were walking in a park on the day of the murder when a white man approached them and “coerced” them into going to Johnson's house. She said the man took a rusty axe from Johnson's garage and beat Johnson to death. The father said his daughter covered her friends' ears so she couldn't hear what was happening, and the man told the girls he would kill them and their families if they told anyone what happened.

The father said his daughter and the other girl have been confined to their rooms since that day. The once active, outgoing teenagers are now quiet and reserved, and he has no idea why.

He believes his daughter and her friend are victims and being marginalized. He believes his daughter when she says she had nothing to do with Johnson's death. Now she is being held in a Geary County juvenile detention center.