Trigger warning: The article contains graphic details of child abuse and murder. Reader discretion is advised.
North Dakota foster parents Jamie Johnson, 44, and Raymond Johnson, 62, allegedly beat their 3-year-old foster daughter to death after inflicting months of abuse on the child. The girl was a “special-needs” child, and the parents believed that she was autistic.
The Johnsons claimed that the girl would often cry loudly and take too long to chew her food, which led them to “punish” her in various ways, according to the police report.
As reported by Law and Crime in a statement, the Stanley Police Department revealed that Jamie and Raymond inflicted physical injuries on the 3-year-old by closed-fist punches, kicks, head-slamming hair pulls, and other “owies.” The now-dead foster kid was in Johnsons’ custody for just a few months, during which she suffered both mental and physical torture.
According to Law and Crime, the kid’s eating habits led Jamie into a fit of rage. Another girl, who was also fostered by the sick couple, told the police that the 3-year-old would get “in trouble” for “leaving food in her mouth.”
Jamie’s text messages with a friend further provided insights into what was going on behind closed doors. “It’s not easy. I get pretty crabby sometimes, and then I feel like s–t for it,” she wrote.
“Honestly, if I knew how she was, I might not have taken her,” she said in another exchange with the aforementioned friend, also referring to the child as a “total brat” in several other text chains. Jamie Johnson also firmly believed that her foster daughter was “special needs” and likely “autistic.” However, there was no trace of them taking special care of her.
The report further stated that the situation unfolded when the Johnsons admitted the girl to the hospital, who was already unresponsive by then. The couple claimed that she had fallen down a flight of stairs on the same day in March. They also attempted to claim to investigators that the girl would “self-inflict” injuries on a regular basis, blaming it on her “learning disability.”
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains graphic descriptions of violence & child abuse.
Foster parents Jamie Johnson, 44, & Raymond Johnson, 62, both face murder & child abuse charges for the death of a 3-year-old girl with autism in March. They are accused of subjecting the child to… pic.twitter.com/LtcnxNhjE8
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However, their home security footage and eyewitness accounts revealed something hellish. A ring camera footage from inside their residence showed how the foster mom punched the 3-year-old in the head with a closed fist. She also repeatedly pulled her hair, which caused her to hit her head on the floor, a table, and then the wall.
That’s not all; she also allegedly hit the girl’s face, stomach, and head with a wooden spoon. The footage showed how Jamie covered her mouth during the abuse to refrain her from screaming and crying.
According to the Law and Crime report, on one occasion, the girl tried to fight back by biting her foster mom’s hand. However, it only led Johnson to further hit her with a closed fist.
“You need to be careful with my mom,” one of Jamie’s other foster kids told investigators from the North Dakota Bureau of Investigation. The kid added that one time, Jamie beat the 3-year-old so badly that she passed out. Later, she was revived with an ice pack.
The foster kids described her as the “meanest one” while her husband Raymond is the “nice one.” However, even Mr. Johnson wasn’t innocent, as he often abused the now-dead child. According to the report, Raymond kicked her and hit her head when he wasn’t happy with her behavior.
According to KMOT, the Johnsons are now facing charges of murder, child abuse, and domestic violence. The couple will be back in court for a preliminary hearing on July 24.
