In the winter of 2014, a domestic tragedy unfolded that ended the life of 36-year-old Alisha Johns. The events leading to her death began to escalate in the weeks prior, when Alisha reported a severe beating by her estranged husband, Cimmeron Johns. Despite visible injuries, including eyes filled with blood and bruising on her neck, arms, and shoulders, she was hesitant to press charges against the man with whom she had been married for around 19 years and had four children. Nevertheless, a warrant was issued for his arrest on domestic violence charges.
On the night of February 6, 2014, the situation took a fatal turn. Alisha had gone to her husband's home in Frederick, Colorado. Her mother, 56-year-old Sherri Pachello, became concerned and went to pick her up. Witnesses later reported seeing Cimmeron Johns chasing the two women in their vehicle. This was the last time they were seen alive. The following day, the bodies of both Alisha Johns and Sherri Pachello were discovered in Weld County.
The search for Cimmeron Johns culminated in a tense standoff at an apartment complex in Thornton. Authorities had tracked a vehicle he was believed to be driving to the location on 103rd and Irma Street. As law enforcement surrounded the residence, reports of shots fired from inside emerged, leading to the evacuation of nearby residents. The standoff ended when officers entered the apartment to find Cimmeron Johns deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
In the aftermath of the double murder and suicide, the investigation revealed that Cimmeron Johns had confessed the killings to a friend, Rosann O'Donnell, shortly after they occurred. O'Donnell and her son were subsequently arrested and charged as accessories to the crime for not immediately reporting the information to the police.
