Lucy Johnson, a 31-year-old nurse from Cramerton, NC, was found dead in her home on July 16, 2008. Her death was a result of two gunshot wounds to the back of her head, and her body was discovered in an upstairs bedroom with her underwear pulled down to her knees. The house was engulfed in flames when emergency responders arrived, and the fire was later determined to be an act of arson. Johnson was three months pregnant at the time of her death, and her other two children were not at home during the incident.
Michael Mead, Johnson's fiancé, was arrested on January 9, 2009, and charged with first-degree murder, arson, and burglary. The district attorney also sought and received a grand jury indictment for rape, although all charges except murder and arson were eventually dismissed by a judge at trial. Mead's arrest was based on several pieces of evidence, including his demeanor at the scene, past relationships with women, the presence of his DNA inside Johnson, comments he made to neighbors about gunshots, a lengthy phone call with Johnson prior to the killing, and the brief duration of their relationship before Johnson became pregnant.
Despite the evidence, Mead was acquitted of all charges on July 12, 2011. He later sued the police, claiming they wrongfully targeted him and mishandled the investigation. Mead argued that another of Johnson's ex-boyfriends was responsible for the crime, but the police did not pursue an arrest against him. The case remains officially closed, with no other suspects charged.
In 2015, a convicted killer named Jerry Douglas Case confessed to killing Johnson and another woman, Jamie Fraley, in a letter to The Gazette. However, the Gaston County District Attorney dismissed the confession as a ploy for attention, stating that there was no evidence to support Case's claims. Case had a history of making false confessions and was serving time in a West Virginia federal prison for kidnapping. The investigation into Johnson's death remains unresolved, with no definitive answers or justice for her and her unborn child.
