Fayette woman found guilty of murder in infant’s 2021 death
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Boone County jury found a Fayette woman guilty of murder and other charges in an 8-month-old girl’s death from 2021.
Jennifer Johnson, 49, was found guilty on Thursday of felony murder in the second degree and two counts of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child in the April 2021 death of Hannah Kent. She will be held at the Boone County Jail until her sentencing, which should occur within six weeks.
According to court documents, Hannah’s mother, Lanetta Hill, found the child about 8:30 a.m. unresponsive and cool to the touch after returning home and immediately noticed bruising. Hill took the infant to Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Testimony during the first two days of the trial detailed Hannah’s condition after being left in Johnson’s care. Police and medical witnesses described bruising and brain injuries consistent with recent trauma.
Hill testified she had been friends with Johnson for more than a decade and had previously trusted her to watch her children, though it was the first time Johnson had cared for Hannah.
Hannah’s sister, Jynasha Hill, testified that the baby appeared normal before she left the house that evening, but said Johnson was in the bathroom when she departed.
Jurors also heard recorded statements in which Johnson denied any knowledge of what had happened. Phone records, however, showed messages sent from her phone about drugs during hours she said she was asleep.
Investigators testified they found baby formula on Johnson’s clothing, and testing showed blood on the shirt belonged to Hannah. Johnson told police she had changed clothes after showering.
The state called its final witnesses Thursday, including a Missouri State Highway Patrol crime lab employee who testified that residue found on a bag among Johnson’s belongings tested positive for methamphetamine.
Johnson told the judge Thursday that she would not testify in her own defense. The defense then rested without calling any witnesses. The move followed the defense’s decision to reserve its opening statement on Monday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
