Verse Elaine Johnson, also affectionately known to friends and family as 'Big Elaine,' was a resident of St. Louis, Missouri, born on June 5, 1951. An African American woman who lived to the age of 66, she was the daughter of Leroy and Florence Lee Johnson. Throughout her life, she was known in her community by her distinct nickname, a moniker that appeared in her eventual obituary notices following her untimely passing.
In 2017, Verse Elaine Johnson became a victim of homicide in the St. Louis area. Her death was categorized as a result of force, marking a violent end that led to her inclusion in local vigils dedicated to remembering lives lost to violence in the city. Specifically, her name was honored during a Vigil of Remembrance hosted by the Crime Victim Advocacy Center in November of that year, which sought to bring attention to the hundreds of individuals killed in St. Louis during that period.
Despite the tragedy of her death, public records and crime databases from the time, such as Missouri's lists of unsolved homicides, have often included her case among those where justice has been delayed. Online sources indicate that her case has been referenced in registries of unsolved deaths and missing persons, suggesting that as of the available reports, no suspects have been arrested, charged, or convicted in connection with her murder. Her funeral services were handled by the Austin A. Layne Mortuary, a long-standing institution in St. Louis, where she was mourned by those who knew her.
