In the early morning hours of October 9, 2020, the life of 48-year-old Stacey Johnson was tragically cut short in Saginaw, Michigan. A White/Caucasian female, Johnson had recently relocated to a new neighborhood on Delaware Street after her previous home was condemned. It was in this unfamiliar setting that she was found outside a neighbor's house, lying in a pool of blood beneath a window.
The neighbor, Calvin Joshua Jr., admitted to shooting Johnson.
According to his account, he was awakened around 2:20 a.m. by what he believed was someone attempting to break into his home. In what he claimed was an act of self-defense under Michigan's Castle Doctrine, he fired a rifle at the perceived intruder. Johnson's parents have suggested that she may have been disoriented in her new surroundings. Following the shooting, Johnson's emotional support dog, Mya, was found unharmed at her residence.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Calvin Joshua Jr. faced serious charges for Johnson's death. Ultimately, he accepted a plea deal, pleading no contest to manslaughter and a felony firearm charge. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such for sentencing purposes. Joshua was sentenced to a minimum of eight years in prison for the manslaughter charge, a sentence that exceeded the typical guidelines, in addition to a consecutive two-year sentence for the firearm charge.
During the court hearings, Stacey Johnson's mother voiced her profound grief and criticized Joshua's actions following the shooting. She pointed out that he did not immediately contact the police or emergency services after firing the fatal shot. Instead, he left the scene to purchase a cigar. While the defense maintained that Joshua acted out of a genuine fear for his safety, the prosecution and Johnson's family argued that his response was both excessive and devoid of compassion.
