Bio 

Christopher Thomas Johnson was born on December 26, 1972. He was primarily raised by his mother, and his parents were never married. He had limited contact with his father while growing up.

Court records show that Johnson had a troubled childhood. He reported being sexually abused by an uncle between the ages of seven and twelve. He also had behavioral problems as a child and teenager, including repeated school suspensions and psychiatric hospitalizations. He was treated with medications used for severe behavioral issues and was placed in several programs, including psychiatric facilities and a wilderness program.

Johnson did not graduate from high school but later earned a GED. Records also show that he began drinking alcohol at age 12 and used alcohol regularly by age 16. He also reported using marijuana, prescription drugs, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and other substances during his teenage years and adulthood.

Johnson met Dana Johnson in Tucson, Arizona, in 2003. Both were homeless at the time. They later moved to Florida and then to Alabama. Dana became pregnant, and the couple married. Their son, Elias Ocean Johnson, was born on August 22, 2004.

By early 2005, Johnson, Dana, and Elias were living in a duplex in Atmore, Alabama. Johnson was employed at Swift Supply Company and often worked six days a week. Court records described his relationship with Dana as volatile. Johnson later testified that resentment toward his wife was the reason he killed their infant son.

Murder Story

On the night of February 18, 2005, Christopher Thomas Johnson and his wife, Dana, were at their duplex in Atmore, Alabama, with their six-month-old son, Elias Ocean Johnson. That evening, Suzanne and Jason Mims visited the home with their own infant to play board games. During the visit, the adults drank alcoholic beverages.

The visitors left at about 1:00 a.m. Dana later went to bed, leaving Elias in Johnson’s care. Elias became hungry, and Dana briefly got up to warm a bottle before returning to bed.

During the early morning hours, Johnson tried to stop Elias from crying. He later told police that he laid on top of the child, covered the baby’s mouth with his hand, forced his fingers into Elias’s mouth and throat, and struck him. Johnson stated that he believed the baby had calmed down and was sleeping.

At around 9:00 a.m., Dana woke up and found Johnson and Elias on the couch. Elias had visible bruising, was cold to the touch, and was unresponsive. Dana called 911. Paramedics arrived and transported Elias to Atmore Hospital, but medical staff were unable to revive him.

Doctors observed bruises on Elias’s face, a bruise on his nose, ruptured blood vessels around his eyes and chin, blood in his mouth and stomach, and a bite mark on one arm. A forensic pathologist later testified that Elias had suffered at least 85 separate injuries. The cause of death was determined to be blunt-force trauma and suffocation.

Police questioned Johnson after Elias’s death. During the ride to the police station, Johnson spontaneously stated that he had something to do with the child’s death. After waiving his rights, he admitted that Elias had been crying and that he had laid on him, put his fingers in his mouth, and hit him.

Johnson was indicted by an Escambia County grand jury on October 28, 2005, for capital murder because the victim was under the age of 14. His trial began on December 4, 2006. During the trial, Johnson chose to represent himself, testified that he intentionally murdered Elias because he hated his wife, and then changed his plea to guilty.

After hearing the evidence, the jury found Johnson guilty of capital murder. During the penalty phase, Johnson presented no mitigation and asked the jury to recommend death. The jury unanimously recommended a death sentence, and the court imposed it.

After sentencing, Johnson refused to pursue appeals and later filed papers stating that he did not want anyone to take legal action on his behalf. His automatic appeal was reviewed by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, which affirmed both his conviction and death sentence.

Christopher Thomas Johnson was executed by lethal injection at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, on October 20, 2011. He was pronounced dead at 6:25 p.m.