More than seven years after the death of Alan Johnson, his wife Evelyn Johnson has pleaded guilty to his murder. Evelyn Johnson, 75, entered a guilty plea to an amended charge of manslaughter, after originally being charged with murder. The Johnson’s had been married for 20 years and had even been through a divorce and remarriage. Johnson had filed a protective order against her husband claiming he had verbally and mentally abused her, a week before the shooting. Evelyn shot Alan five times with a .22-caliber revolver in his trailer a day after he had filed divorce papers. Evelyn was found incompetent to stand trial and was placed in the Utah State Hospital for treatment until she was determined competent this last May.
Utah Homicide Laws
In Utah as well as across the country, the crime of homicide is divided into different levels of gravity. The case above is a good example of how a person can be charged with Murder, a first degree felony; but can end up agreeing to a plea agreement of manslaughter, a second degree felony. Determining which crime has been committed can be difficult and there are a number of factors that go into homicide charges and can effect the gravity of the charge and the limits or suggestions on length of imprisonment.
Utah Criminal Defense Attorney | Defending Homicide Charges
Obviously homicide charges are very serious and anyone facing such charges should get the help of an attorney. A homicide case is likely to take a lot of time and involve a lot of research and investigation into the circumstances of the incident. The legal team at Salcido Law Firm can help you with your criminal charges and can give you the peace of mind that your case is being handled properly. Call or email us today to set up a free consultation and see what we can do for you.
