GUILTY MI - Gary and Laura Johnson, mid-60's, Portage, Feb 2021 *son arrested*

[PommyMommy]

Portage couple missing in what police describe as suspicious situation - mlive.com

Police spent hours combing a Portage home and the property Tuesday in search of clues to shed light on their apparent disappearance.

• Police described the situation as suspicious.
• They were called to the home on Romence Road just west of Oakland Drive, early Tues, Feb. 9 on a welfare check.
• Gary and Laura Johnson, both in their mid-60s, live at the residence.
• Gary did not report for his virtual-format work Tuesday and his employer became concerned. Johnson is a longtime employee and that isn't like him.
• There was no response after knocking on the door several times and LE eventually entered the house and did not find anybody.
• However, there was some evidence in the house that kept LE there all day. LE put up police tape and shovels were brought to an area of the back yard.
• Armold would not say what was found in the house or the reason for the shovels.
• He said the Johnson's own two vehicles and one was found at the house and the other at a different location he did not disclose.
• “We’re attempting to get a hold of any family we can find,” Armold said.
• The couple does not have a large family.

 

[YaYa_521]

https://wtvbam.com/2021/02/10/updat...s-of-violence-inside-home-of-missing-persons/

UPDATE 2/10/2021 11:55 a.m.:

Portage police are now saying that during their investigation into the whereabouts of Gary and Laura Johnson, they discovered “evidentiary signs of violence” inside the home during a preliminary investigation. They have not given any specifics about what exactly they found and still maintain that they are still trying to locate the couple.

Officers were sent to the home in the 2300 block of Romence Rd. Tuesday. After multiple attempts to make contact with anyone inside the home, and during a walk around the outside of the home, officers became suspicious and concerned for the Johnson’s well-being. It was decided that entry would be made into the home. Once inside, officers found both Gary and his wife Laura were not present.

The investigation into the whereabouts of the Johnsons continues, with family and associates continuing to work with investigators. There is currently no one in custody for any crime related to the investigation, and investigators continue to follow up on all leads. Information concerning the Johnson’s whereabouts within the past seven days is still under investigation.

 

[PommyMommy]

Investigation at the home

 

[YaYa_521]

Police search for missing Portage couple | WOODTV.com
Court records show a 27-year-old relative of Gary and Laura Johnson, who property records shows lives at their home, has been taken into custody. State correctional records show he absconded from parole Dec. 30. He is set to be arraigned on a bench warrant this afternoon. Authorities have not confirmed whether the 27-year-old is suspected of any crimes linked to the Johnsons’ disappearance.

 

[Limecat]

I’m afraid this is going to be heart breaking...MOO

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 10, 2021
Portage police give update to missing couple after welfare check

 

[Ontario Mom]

I can only guess that the younger relative said to have been living with them, knows exactly where they are, and what took place in the home.

 

[YaYa_521]

https://wtvbam.com/2021/02/10/updat...s-of-violence-inside-home-of-missing-persons/
UPDATE 2/10/2021 4:05 p.m.:

• ...vehicle of Laura Johnson has been found.
• ...at the Milham Meadows apartment complex, which is also where police located and arrested the couple’s son, 27-year-old Nicholas Johnson.
• ... charges of felony firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• ...set a bond for him at $100,000, adding that amount was partly due to the disappearance of his parents.
• ...Nicholas Johnson has not been publicly named as a suspect in their case.

 

[mommylicious]

Oh no!

 

[Ontario Mom]

VERY interesting video here

Authorities find missing couple’s son along with mom’s car | WOODTV.com

"Considering the investigation currently underway into his parents’ disappearance, Kalamazoo County Judge Richard Santoni set Nicholas Johnson’s bond at $100,000. “I can’t ignore it,” Santoni said. “It creates a cloud over these proceedings. If I were to ignore it I would be simply ignoring reality, and I’m not going to do that.” He said he has reviewed search warrants that detail “allegations where the defendant is accused of committing crimes against his parents.”

 

[YaYa_521]

Authorities find missing couple’s son along with mom’s car | WOODTV.com

Prosecutors said during his arraignment that he was arrested Tuesday at Milham Meadows Apartments in Portage, where Laura Johnson’s car was also found. Prosecutors said Nicholas Johnson appears to have been living in a storage unit at Milham Meadows. Johnson’s defense attorney said he has been living at a friend’s house for the last few years, though property records listed his address as his parents’ home.

 

[YaYa_521]

Son of missing Portage couple arraigned on multiple charges

In addition to the new charges, the younger Johnson had two outstanding warrants including a felony home invasion-third degree stemming from a 2019 incident.

• ...broke into the home of his parents, with whom he had a no-contact order with on Sept. 7, 2019,
• ...a history of missed court appearances and probation violations by Nicholas Johnson — including failing to adhere to the no-contact order he had with his parents
• ...many of the allegations against Johnson over the past decade having involved crimes or alleged crimes against Johnson’s parents.
• ... was convicted of a home invasion - first degree in 2014 and, in 2019, was convicted of resisting and obstructing causing injury
• ...also has three misdemeanors on his record, he said.
• ...uncertain as to whether the 2014 home invasion involved the defendant’s parents.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Son of missing Portage couple arraigned on multiple charges

In addition to the new charges, the younger Johnson had two outstanding warrants including a felony home invasion-third degree stemming from a 2019 incident.

• ...broke into the home of his parents, with whom he had a no-contact order with on Sept. 7, 2019,
• ...a history of missed court appearances and probation violations by Nicholas Johnson — including failing to adhere to the no-contact order he had with his parents
• ...many of the allegations against Johnson over the past decade having involved crimes or alleged crimes against Johnson’s parents.
• ... was convicted of a home invasion - first degree in 2014 and, in 2019, was convicted of resisting and obstructing causing injury
• ...also has three misdemeanors on his record, he said.
• ...uncertain as to whether the 2014 home invasion involved the defendant’s parents.

I know he's not been named a suspect yet but I'll be shocked, honestly, given his record, to learn he has nothing to do with their disappearance.

 

[PommyMommy]

Kalamazoo County judge arraigns son of missing Portage couple on felony charges | WWMT
Police had been at the couple’s home for 33 hours, as of 6 p.m. Wednesday.

 

[MKZoo]

Boy. What has to be going on to have a no contact order against your own kid? I’m afraid this one is going to be upsetting.

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 11, 2021
Authorities find missing couple’s son along with mom’s car

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 11, 2021
Portage police news conference on missing couple

Summary:

LE found a dug out area in the yard about 12" deep underneath a pine tree. However, they did not find anything in it.

There is enough evidence now inside the home, with the vehicles, and other things that lead LE to believe that this is going to be a homicide instead of a welfare check or a missing person case.

"Hopefully we're wrong."

LE is still trying to nail down when the Johnson's were last seen and the best they can tell at this point is "last Wednesday."

"What we're seeing and what we're finding is leading us to believe that they're not alive." LE has their vehicles and their phones.

The storage unit where Nicholas Johnson was found is in the basement of the Mallard Cove apartments which is different from Milham Meadows. They are very close together and some people don't realize they are not the same.

The Chief is asked if Nicholas is a suspect or POI and said it is safe to say he is a POI.

The Chief would not comment on whether or not Nicholas is cooperating with the investigation or where his parents phones were found.

Regarding the investigation of the home, he said, "I think we're going to be out there for a couple more days."

(Quoted statements were made by the Police Chief.)

 

[bykerladi]

If he DIDNT have something to do with their disappearance, how'd he get mom's car?

 

[Ontario Mom]

If he DIDNT have something to do with their disappearance, how'd he get mom's car?

Well I guess that could easily be argued that she let him borrow it, before they went missing.
Although, I definitely believe he did have something to do with it, and so does LE since they even named him a POI.

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 11, 2021
Portage police believe missing couple is dead (fox17online.com)

An undated photos of Gary and Laura Johnson

Nick Armold, Director of Portage Public Safety told FOX 17 Thursday that detectives believe the Johnsons are dead, based on information they've collected the past two days.

... Armold says the officers found tracks in the backyard leading to freshly disturbed ground underneath a large pine tree. Thinking it could be a shallow grave, the officers entered the home, where they found evidence of violence. A team of investigators descended on the house. Nothing was found in the ground.

Armold says the Johnsons were last seen on February 3. He does not expect to find them alive.

[...]

... Prosecutors say when police arrested Johnson, he had a pistol and spare magazine. Officers also found ammo inside a storage unit at Milham Meadows Apartments, where Johnson is believed to have been living. ...

Johnson also has on-going cases of obstructing police and 3rd degree home invasion.

Johnson's past convictions include an illegal entry case where he broke into his parents' home in 2019. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to not have contact with his parents.

[...]