4:24 PM
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Gerald Carnahan (mug shot St. Louis County)

A murder case that began a quarter century ago has come to an end with a jury saying Gerald Carnahan did indeed rape and murder 20 year-old Jackie Johns in 1985.

Carnahan was always the chief suspect in the June 17, 1985 disappearance and murder of the former beauty queen from Nixa, but he wasn't officially charged with her murder until August of 2007 when new DNA evidence was submitted to the state crime lab in Jefferson City.

Johns, who was last seen at a convenience store in Nixa, was reported missing after her sports car was found abandoned with the drivers side door ajar on the side of U.S. 160 in Nixa.  Her body was floating in Lake Springfield by fisherman four days later.

Carnahan was questioned early in the investigation after it was reported that his distinctive truck was seen parked behind the 7-Eleven where Johns was last seen and, near Johns' vehicle on U.s 160 the night she went missing.  However, no charges were filed against him after he was indicted by a grand jury for perjury in the case. 
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Jackie Johns (family photo)

It wasn't until 2007 when a detective with the Highway Patrol had time on his hands to investigate cold cases that Carnahan was charged.  Sgt. Dan Nash obtained a warrant to obtain DNA from Carnahan in August of that year.  Two days after that warrant was served, Carnahan was arrested after his DNA matched semen found in Johns' body at autopsy.

Investigators had attempted to close the case in the late '90's and again in early 2003 using DNA, however, it wasn't until advances in the science in 2007 that they were able to obtain the match.

When Carnahan is sentenced it will be just a formality because the only sentence available to him on the first-degree murder conviction is life in prison without the possibility of parole.  The jury has also recommended a life sentence for the forcible rape conviction to be served consecutively (after the life sentence,) which means in all likelihood Gerald Carnahan will never set foot outside a prison alive.

Carnahan is scheduled to be sentenced October 25th in St. Louis County where the case was moved on a change of venue.
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Defense attorney Dee Wampler says he plans to file a motion for a new trial or an appeal.

26 comments:

Kris in KC said...

I have a weird question. What did
Gerald Carnahan look like when all
of this happened?

Anonymous said...

Until he was finally arrested, he was a staggering drunk. He had to hold up the walls as he stumbled his way to his job at Springfield Marine in Nixa, MO. Staying drunk and spending as much time in his wife's home country of China was his best escape from the horrors that haunted his conscience. Now, he has years of sober time to comptemplate the man he was or the father, husband or business man he could have been.

Anonymous said...

I AM A LESBIAN WOMAN¡ ELIDA APONTE SANCHEZ

Anonymous said...

Yeah bcuz he didn't look nothing like the preppy n slim guy portraying him on tv.

Anonymous said...

When he murdered Jackie he was a lot younger, thinner, a whole lot better looking, extremely cocky, and a mean SOB. Just being in the same room with him would give you the creeps, something always seemed "off" about him.

Anonymous said...

Any word about that "distinctive truck"? I know that in the Angela Hammond abduction case out of Clinton, Missouri, there was also talk of a very distinctive truck. Just curious as to whether there might be a connection there.

Anonymous said...

Well...in prison it is likely he is living with a bunch of other mean SOBs.. Perhaps he has known a smidgen of the fear he put that precious young lady through. Yet even still, may our good Lord, who wishes that none perish, have mercy on him

Anonymous said...

Did he die??

Anonymous said...

Do it really matter

Unknown said...

I was just wondering what ever happened to her boyfriend? It had to be hard all of those years. People had to think all those years about him ?

Anonymous said...

At least some states in USA have death penalty.. Here in GB is a joke!! Prison is a 5star hotel. .

Anonymous said...

Yeah I wanted to know too. I tried googling him but all I found was his nasty ass mugshot.

Anonymous said...

Yes for all the other victims I'm sure he tried with several others before taking that leap maybe more women or girls will recognize him for a new case

Anonymous said...

I remember this case well my father was a auto mechanic caddy corner from where she worked and my father was questioned (he liked to flirt) at the diner. I was young but remember the questions police asked. Every year my mom couldn't forget since it was on her bday. The story was different then.

Unknown said...

You would think they would cast actors that resemble the character a little more .....In every show I saw not one actor resembles real person / persons ...

Sohobebe said...

Don't feel bad, I wondered the same thing.

Sohobebe said...

Don't feel bad, I wondered the same thing.

Unknown said...

PUT THIS UGLY OLD WASTE OF HUMAN POPULATION TO DEATH ALREADY!

Anonymous said...

I sure wish I could have been passing by and seen her being abducted by this so called "bully-badass". I would have taken her home while whoever took him to an ER. I've seen me do it! I'm a 49 year old male and I have always had a severe issue with other males mistreating ladies especially in this manner.
I'm a southern man and most of us simply protect our ladies from this.

?????? said...

If Carnahan's truck was seen sitting behind Jackie's car on 160, how did both cars get there? He sure didn't drive them both.

?????? said...

If Carnahan's truck was seen parked behind Jackie's on 160, how did both cars get there?

Unknown said...

He pretended to be broke down and she drove up on him and offered to help or give him a ride, once in the car her raped her then decided to beat her to death with a tire iron

Anonymous said...

what an ugly mother fxxxx hope he suffers every day of his fat ugly like scum of the earch i wish i could fight him. she trusted him and that scum stoped and tricked her for what reason i waych crime shoes but get so mad theae scum people are.less than bugs to ke they are nothing a lignting bug or roach means more than this scums life criminals like this should get torcherous punishiment every day of their life.maybe people will tjink twice about murder and if they still do then they are that stupid and deserve to suffer i can get the words to say that get my feelings out think ugly loser.makes me so mad.looking at his igly face if that was my family i would rip im apart. hope he suffers every day of his.lif.and burns slowly hope u see this u fat scum of the earch god will take take care of u. hope this girl u killed has the chance to torcher ur scum uglyness. burn in hell for all eternity u pice of sxxx i pray u suffer ur last says as horrible as it can be

Anonymous said...

hope he burns in hell hes a cum pice of crap watching this show makes.me so mad. i hope he suffers every day this scum insect hra nothing hope he burns

Anonymous said...

He was an arrogant entitled prick. His family got him out of trouble every time he got into it. He never faced any consequences for his actions. They have to live with that guilt for the rest of their lives too. In prison, it won't matter who his family is. He'll he'll get exactly what he showed her.....no mercy. That warms my soul! He may not face a death chamber, but he'll face a torcher chamber ��

Anonymous said...

there were always rumors that he did it... and also kidnapped 3 women in Springfield..

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