In the early morning hours of April 18, 2020, the quiet of a West Jordan, Utah, neighborhood was shattered by the sounds of gunshots and a woman's screams. Inside their home, 31-year-old Tony Butterfield, a Caucasian male, and his 30-year-old wife, Katherine, were attacked in what police would describe as a targeted home invasion. A neighbor's call to 911 around 1:15 a.m. brought police to the scene where they discovered a horrific sight.
Tony Butterfield was found deceased in the backyard, having sustained at least one gunshot wound. Just inside the doorway of their home, police found Katherine Butterfield, also shot to death. Miraculously, the couple's three young children, all under the age of four, were found unharmed upstairs.
The investigation quickly revealed signs of a violent struggle. Police believe the intruder, later identified as 31-year-old Albert Enoch Johnson of West Jordan, forced his way into the Butterfield's home. It is thought that Tony Butterfield attempted to defend his family, injuring the attacker with a knife during the altercation. Investigators noted that the house appeared to have been ransacked. Johnson was known to the Butterfields, though not as a welcome guest; he had previously interviewed for a job at their landscaping company. The motive for this brutal crime was determined to be a botched robbery, with Johnson allegedly targeting the couple because he believed they had money, though he only managed to take $20 and two cell phones. After initially leaving, Johnson realized he had left his keys behind and went back inside the house, where he was recognized by the couple, leading to the fatal confrontation.
The search for the suspect was swift. Police identified Albert Enoch Johnson as the primary suspect and released his information to the public. His wife, 29-year-old Sina Johnson, was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence. Authorities alleged that she lied to investigators, helped her husband flee, and disposed of evidence, including his bloody clothes. A few days after the murders, on April 22, 2020, Albert Enoch Johnson was apprehended in the Sacramento, California area with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service. He was subsequently extradited back to Utah to face charges.
Albert Enoch Johnson was charged with two counts of aggravated murder, among other serious felonies. His wife, Sina Johnson, later accepted a plea deal for reduced charges in exchange for her testimony against her husband. The tragic deaths of Tony and Katherine Butterfield, described as hardworking and loving parents, sent shockwaves through their community. They were remembered as kind and Christ-like individuals who were deeply devoted to their children and their business.
