Bio 

Terry D. Johnson was born in 1969 and grew up in Connecticut as one of sixteen children born to his father through two marriages. His father had previously worked in law enforcement, making the events that later unfolded particularly notable within the community.

Johnson was single and had fathered two children with different women before his incarceration. According to later prison interviews, he acknowledged engaging in delinquent behavior during his youth, including stealing automobiles, breaking into businesses, and taking motorcycles and other property. He stated that many of these actions were motivated by a desire for acceptance and approval from friends and family members rather than financial gain.

Johnson also disclosed that he briefly served in the National Guard before the murder. Despite his growing criminal behavior, publicly available records indicate that his prior contacts with the criminal justice system primarily involved misdemeanor offenses. Family members pursued conventional careers, including military service, factory work, public transportation, and higher education, while Johnson increasingly engaged in unlawful activities.

Reflecting on his younger years during later interviews conducted while on death row, Johnson described himself as immature and eager to impress others. However, because these statements originated from Johnson himself rather than independent sources, they represent his own characterization of his past rather than verified psychological assessments.

Murder Story

During the early morning hours of June 5, 1991, Terry D. Johnson and his younger brother, Duane Johnson, broke into a sporting goods store in North Windham, Connecticut, intending to steal firearms and ammunition. The brothers had previously committed burglaries involving automobiles and car stereos, but this crime marked a significant escalation in both planning and violence.

While inside the store, Terry Johnson armed himself with a stolen semiautomatic pistol and loaded the weapon. According to court records, the brothers had discussed the possibility that police officers might respond to the burglary and had prepared themselves for a confrontation if that occurred.

At approximately 2:00 a.m., Connecticut State Trooper Russell Allen Bagshaw, a 28-year-old four-year veteran of the Connecticut State Police, drove into the parking lot while conducting routine patrol duties. Bagshaw had been married to his wife, Carol, for less than a year.

After noticing the approaching patrol vehicle, Duane Johnson alerted his older brother to the trooper's presence. Terry exited the building and positioned himself outside near the store. Before Trooper Bagshaw could exit his cruiser, call for assistance, or draw his service weapon, Terry Johnson opened fire.

Johnson discharged a total of seventeen rounds into the police cruiser. Testimony later established that the first several shots missed Bagshaw, while subsequent bullets shattered the vehicle's windows and struck the trooper multiple times. One of the fatal rounds entered through an opening not protected by Bagshaw's bullet-resistant vest. The attack occurred so quickly that Bagshaw was unable to use his radio or defend himself.

A passing firefighter later noticed Bagshaw's cruiser with its emergency lights activated. After approaching the vehicle, he discovered the wounded trooper slumped behind the steering wheel and used Bagshaw's portable radio to broadcast the emergency call of "Officer down." Trooper Russell Bagshaw died at the scene. He was 28 years old.

Terry and Duane Johnson fled Connecticut following the shooting but were arrested two days later, on June 7, 1991. Investigators quickly linked the brothers to the burglary and murder through evidence gathered at the scene and subsequent statements obtained during the investigation.

Terry Johnson ultimately pleaded guilty to charges including murder, felony murder, capital felony, and burglary. Rather than proceeding through a traditional trial on the issue of guilt, the case moved into sentencing proceedings. On June 10, 1992, he was sentenced to death for the murder of Trooper Bagshaw.

Duane Johnson, who had acted as a lookout during the burglary and alerted Terry to Bagshaw's arrival, was prosecuted separately. Although he did not fire the fatal shots, he was convicted for his role in the crimes and initially received a life sentence. His sentence was later modified to sixty years' imprisonment.

In 2000, the Connecticut Supreme Court overturned Terry Johnson's death sentence after determining that errors had occurred during the penalty phase proceedings. The death sentence was subsequently reduced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

In the decades that followed, Johnson remained incarcerated within the Connecticut Department of Correction. Public attention returned to the case in 2025 during parole proceedings involving Duane Johnson. Testimony presented during those hearings again highlighted the lasting impact of Trooper Bagshaw's murder on his widow, family members, fellow officers, and the wider law enforcement community. Contemporary reporting confirmed that Terry Johnson continues to serve a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the killing of Trooper Russell Bagshaw.