GUILTY PA - Nalani Johnson, 2, Penn Hills Boro, Allegheny County, 31 Aug 2019 *Arrest* #2

[PommyMommy]

renee wallace on Twitter
Forensic Path.. testifies Nalani Johnson likely died of suffocation but cannot say with medical certainty #WPXI

2:04 PM - 31 Jan 2020

 

[steeltowngirl]

renee wallace on Twitter
Forensic Path.. testifies Nalani Johnson likely died of suffocation but cannot say with medical certainty #WPXI

2:04 PM - 31 Jan 2020

Oh man. If they are not sure of cause of death, and they don't have witnesses or video of Sharena Nancy with the child, this may be a tough case to prosecute. Maybe fingerprints and / or DNA on the child or car seat?

 

[PommyMommy]

Oh man. If they are not sure of cause of death, and they don't have witnesses or video of Sharena Nancy with the child, this may be a tough case to prosecute. Maybe fingerprints and / or DNA on the child or car seat?

Yeah, I don't know. We still haven't heard any more about the yellowish substance found in her stomach and yet, somehow, the coroner was able to determine that she was deceased at the time she was left in the park. It's baffling. MOO

 

[PommyMommy]

Oh boy...

BJ Waters on Twitter
Attorneys for 25 year old Sharena Nancy charged with the kidnapping & murder of 2 year old NALANI JOHNSON say she was manipulated by a street savvy man…21 year old Paul Johnson the child’s father...investigator say the two had an on again off again relationship...

5:42 PM - 31 Jan 2020

 

[CCJD]

"Sharena Nancy's defense attorneys wanted to cross examine Paul Johnson, Nalani's father, arguing after court that he had additional information and there was a lot more they knew about what happened on Aug. 31, 2019.

Paul Johnson was in court Friday, but did not testify."
NALANI JOHNSON: Charges held for court in homicide case of 2-year-old Penn Hills girl

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 31, 2020
Woman Accused In Kidnapping, Murder Of 2-Year-Old Girl Headed To Trial
[…]

“She’s hysterical. She was manipulated. You have a young girl from India, a mother of two, being plied with drugs and alcohol, basically being manipulated by a street-savvy hustler. She’s not street savvy. You will find out she was taken advantage of,” attorney Randall Ricciuti said.

Ricciuti said he and his law partner were disappointed when they were not permitted at the preliminary hearing to get all the information they needed.

“Significant information and it’s all pertaining to the child’s father and what we know,” Ricciuti said. “Namely, and there are court dockets, public records of a PFA filed against the child’s father for threatening to kill the child and carrying a gun”.

[…]

Attorney R. Anthony DeLuca said Friday’s proceedings were pointless.

“I really don’t think there was much purpose to what we did here today if you don’t have the actual witness testifying,” DeLuca said.

(Article includes video)

 

[PommyMommy]

"Sharena Nancy's defense attorneys wanted to cross examine Paul Johnson, Nalani's father, arguing after court that he had additional information and there was a lot more they knew about what happened on Aug. 31, 2019.

Paul Johnson was in court Friday, but did not testify."
NALANI JOHNSON: Charges held for court in homicide case of 2-year-old Penn Hills girl

This trial is going to get ugly.

Also noting from your link:

Dr. Kevin Whaley still hasn't given an official manner of death, but indicated he'd believed Nalani died because blood flow in her body stopped, both to her brain and vital organs. He did notice some scrapes on her face that got there before she died.

Whaley testified that suffocation is in the realm of possibility, but couldn't say definitively what caused the blood flow to stop.

 

[CCJD]

From another local case (also involving the death of a toddler) ...

In a statement Thursday, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala's office said the death of Marcus is part of a confidential grand jury investigation, and that his office "cannot file charges until such time as evidence exists to sustain and prove those charges beyond a reasonable doubt."
Nearly seven years later, Pittsburgh family renews call for justice for Baby Marcuss

But here we are with no cause of death for Nalani and no time of death (aside from "before she was left in the park") and I just have to wonder how the PTB are even able to charge Sharena with murder.

I agree - it'll get ugly, for sure. Maybe the first thing the defense should do is ask for a change of venue.

 

[steeltowngirl]

From another local case (also involving the death of a toddler) ...

In a statement Thursday, Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala's office said the death of Marcus is part of a confidential grand jury investigation, and that his office "cannot file charges until such time as evidence exists to sustain and prove those charges beyond a reasonable doubt."
Nearly seven years later, Pittsburgh family renews call for justice for Baby Marcuss

But here we are with no cause of death for Nalani and no time of death (aside from "before she was left in the park") and I just have to wonder how the PTB are even able to charge Sharena with murder.

I agree - it'll get ugly, for sure. Maybe the first thing the defense should do is ask for a change of venue.

I’m not feeling proud of my city’s handling of either these cases. Nor by the reporting. Such a contrast to the other cases I have been following in Colorado and Texas, as examples.

These children deserve justice. Get it together, Allegheny County and Pittsburgh.

 

[EmDee]

Saying prayers for the family. This case still breaks my heart. I hope the truth comes out and there is justice.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Nancy's formal arraignment is scheduled for March 3.

Woman charged in the killing of Nalani Johnson, 2, headed to trial

 

[crhedBngr]

Saying prayers for the family. This case still breaks my heart. I hope the truth comes out and there is justice.

It IS heartbreaking!

 

[Kittybunny]

The local news (WPXI) reported that Nalani died of suffocation, and that a bunch of napkins were placed over her nose/mouth and that Sharena suffocated her. WPXI has been known to stretch the truth/facts juuuuuust a bit so take it for what it's worth. Either way, Nalani did not deserve to have her life snuffed out so abruptly.

And as far as her defense attorney's statement about sweet little innocent Sharena being manipulated by a street savvy hustler...the less said about that, the better.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Tonight at 11 pm on WPXI local TV news in Pittsburgh, they will discuss Nalani Johnson and what they are calling the “Amber Alert That Came Too Late”. They are seeming to indicate that precious time was lost. I plan to watch and I will post a link if WTAE releases the spot as a video on their website.

Edit - to correct station’s call letters to WPXI.

 

[steeltowngirl]

“She didn’t have a voice, she couldn’t act on her own, she was at the mercy of an evil person,” Walsh told Channel 11′s Amy Hudak.

Walsh said Nalani’s murder could have been prevented and she doesn’t want her death to be in vain.

Working with lawyer and former prosecutor Eric Chaffin, Walsh helped to draft an amendment to the current Amber Alert Law. It’s called the Nalani Johnson Rule and could prevent what happened to Nalani from happening to another child in imminent danger. To understand how it works, we first need to see what failed in Nalani’s case.

https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/allegheny-county/grandmother-nalani-johnson-local-lawyer-team-up-change-amber-alert-laws/U4FXOBDHYZDJDC2NHELLHZ6CF4/

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 10, 2020
Nalani Johnson Rule to amend Amber Alert law expected to be introduced next month
An amendment to the Amber Alert law in Pennsylvania is gaining moment and now has a sponsor, Channel 11 has learned.

The Nalani Johnson Rule, as it is being called, is designed to expedite the Amber Alert process in situations where a child is kidnapped by a stranger or acquaintance.

[...]

Channel 11’s Amy Hudak talked to Nalani’s grandmother and lawyer Eric Chaffin last week about the bill.

Chaffin told Hudak on Monday that the bill will likely be introduced when the Pennsylvania Legislature is back in session in March. It’s expected to have bipartisan support.

 

[EmDee]

FEB 10, 2020
Nalani Johnson Rule to amend Amber Alert law expected to be introduced next month
An amendment to the Amber Alert law in Pennsylvania is gaining moment and now has a sponsor, Channel 11 has learned.

The Nalani Johnson Rule, as it is being called, is designed to expedite the Amber Alert process in situations where a child is kidnapped by a stranger or acquaintance.

[...]

Channel 11’s Amy Hudak talked to Nalani’s grandmother and lawyer Eric Chaffin last week about the bill.

Chaffin told Hudak on Monday that the bill will likely be introduced when the Pennsylvania Legislature is back in session in March. It’s expected to have bipartisan support.

Awesome!!!

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 19, 2020
Nalani Johnson Rule to amend Amber Alert law introduced at state level
A bill named after the Penn Hills toddler who was abducted and killed last year Johnson was introduced to the Pennsylvania State Legislature this morning.

Its aim is to prevent another child’s death during an Amber Alert.

[...]

“We’re going to continue to see these - the most vulnerable children those car seat children are the most important to protect. Those are exactly who we’re aiming to protect here,” Chaffin said.

The bill would also call for an expedited Amber Alert in rare abductions where a child is taken by a stranger or acquaintance. ‘The Nalani Johnson Rule’ is expected you have bipartisan support when the Pennsylvania State legislature returns to session in March.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Nancy's formal arraignment is scheduled for March 3.

Woman charged in the killing of Nalani Johnson, 2, headed to trial

Are you seeing any news, @steeltowngirl? MOO

 

[steeltowngirl]

Are you seeing any news, @steeltowngirl? MOO

Nada on the news that I’ve seen. However, I only got home at 6 pm and local TV is currently dominated by election primary news. I so wanted to go to the courthouse today, but my work schedule prevailed. I’m disappointed to find very little info from the news stations. IMO

I did a quick court docket search. The arraignment for today is still showing as status “scheduled”. I assume it did happen, as this item appears new: Sex Offense Court FA/PTC scheduled for March 19.

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/docke...-CR-0001354-2020&dnh=MAZpOU8mkpcCAGqeC0j4Zw==

The other charge that we knew about that was unrelated to Nalani was Permit Unlicensed Dr. That charges shows “Guilty” as of 2/27/20 and awaiting sentencing.

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/docke...-SA-0000123-2019&dnh=+mFfjaUNYtRrJLoOhzZOjA==

#JusticeForNalani