Earl Johnson | Homicide Watch DC

Earl Johnson Sentenced to 14 Years, 3 Months in Prison for Antoinette Mitchell Murder

Megan Arellano — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 18:56:29 -0400

Judge Russell Canan sentenced Earl Johnson Tuesday to 14 years and three month in prison for the August 2012 stabbing death of 29-year-old Antoinette Mitchell.

Johnson, 41, pleaded guilty in April to voluntary manslaughter in Mitchell's death.

According to the proffer of facts, Johnson got into an argument at Mitchell's apartment with one of Mitchell’s relatives in the early morning hours of August 22, 2012. Mitchell entered the argument to defend her relative and asked Johnson to leave, the documents say.

Johnson finally left the apartment some time later and Mitchell followed, carrying a clothes iron. Johnson exited the apartment building, but walked no more than a few feet before turning around. Mitchell stood in the doorway holding the iron and told Johnson he could not come back into the building, the documents say.

According to the documents, Mitchell swung the iron and hit Johnson in the head when he approached the doorway. After that, Johnson pulled out a knife and stabbed Mitchell several times. Johnson fled the scene on foot; Mitchell later died at the hospital.

The autopsy found Mitchell was stabbed in her chest, right arm and left hand. Documents also state that the stab wound to her chest was approximately four inches deep.

A press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office is included below:

District Man Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Prison
For Fatally Stabbing Woman in Southeast Washington
-Victim Ordered Defendant to Leave Her Apartment Building-

WASHINGTON - Earl Johnson, 41, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to a prison sentence of 14 years and three months for fatally stabbing a woman at an apartment building in Southeast Washington last year, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Johnson pled guilty in April 2013 in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed in the August 2012 killing of Antionette Mitchell. He was sentenced by the Honorable Russell F. Canan. Upon completion of his prison term, Johnson will be placed on five years of supervised release.

According to the government’s evidence, in the early morning hours of Aug. 22, 2012, Johnson was inside an upstairs apartment in the 3200 block of 13th Street SE, where Ms. Mitchell, 29, and her relatives, including the defendant’s ex-girlfriend, resided. Johnson did not live in the apartment or in any other apartments in the multi-unit building.

Once inside the apartment, Johnson began arguing with his ex-girlfriend. Ms. Mitchell eventually got involved and told Johnson to leave, warning that she would call the police if he refused. Johnson finally left the apartment, angrily slamming the door behind him. As he proceeded downstairs to the building’s exit, Ms. Mitchell followed him, carrying a clothes iron.

Johnson walked a few feet away, then turned and started walking back toward the building. At this point, Ms. Mitchell stood inside the building hallway, near the front door. While wielding the iron, she told Johnson that he could not come back inside. Johnson then approached the doorway, walking toward Ms. Mitchell. As he pulled the door open, Ms. Mitchell attempted to prevent him from entering and swung the iron and struck him in the head.

Shortly thereafter, Johnson began stabbing Ms. Mitchell multiple times with the knife, continuing even after she was wounded and helpless. Ms. Mitchell died from the wounds. Johnson was arrested later in the day.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended the work of those who investigated the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). He also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Sandra Lane and Victim/Witness Advocate Tamara Ince, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Liebman, who investigated and prosecuted the matter.

Earl Johnson Pleads Guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter in Death of Antoinette Mitchell

Penny Ray — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:06:05 -0400

Earl Johnson pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed in connection with the stabbing death of 29-year-old Antoinette Mitchell.

Johnson, 40, was arrested on the day of the incident and charged with first-degree murder in the case.

According to the plea agreement, while inside Mitchell's apartment in the early morning hours of August 22, 2012, Johnson got into an argument with one of Mitchell's relatives. In defense of her family, Mitchell jumped in the argument and asked Johnson to leave, the documents say.

After a few more minutes of arguing, Johnson finally left the apartment, with Mitchell following close behind carrying a clothes iron. Johnson exited the apartment building, but walked no more than a few feet before turning around. As Mitchell stood in the doorway holding the iron, she told Johnson he could not come back into the building, the documents say.

Mitchell swung the iron and hit Johnson in the head; Johnson then pulled out a knife and stabbed her several times. Johnson fled the scene on foot; Mitchell later died at the hospital.

An autopsy found that Mitchell was stabbed three times: in her chest, right arm and left hand. Plea documents state that the stab wound to her chest was approximately four inches deep.

Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Russell Canan June 21.

Plea documents have been added to this post.

Earl Johnson Arrested in Stabbing Death of Ex-Girlfriend's Daughter

Jonah Newman — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:40:02 -0400

Earl Johnson, 40, was arrested in August on suspicion of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend's daughter, Antoinette Mitchell. Johnson is awaiting a possible grand jury indictment.

According to charging documents, Johnson barged into Mitchell's apartment in the 3200 block of 13th Street Southeast shortly after midnight on Aug. 22 and began arguing with her mother, who had called him earlier that evening to break up with him.

Antoinette Mitchell, 29, who was sleeping in the apartment at the time, was awakened by the arguing and approached Johnson and asked him to leave. According to charging documents, Johnson left the apartment and Mitchell grabbed an iron and followed him down the stairs toward the front door of the apartment building.

Suddenly Johnson turned around and entered the building again and pulled a knife from his pocket. He began to approach Mitchell with the knife pointing toward her, and she hit Johnson in the head with the iron. Johnson then allegedly attacked Mitchell and stabbed her multiple times. When her mother attempted to push him away and force him out of the apartment, she suffered a stab wound in her right arm.

The Washington Post reported that Mitchell's mother, Michelle Mitchell, who is called Molly in court documents, had broken up with Johnson after a two-year-long relationship that she says was abusive.

Mitchell said she met Johnson about three years ago, adding that they were from the same neighborhood in Southeast Washington and that she knew many of his relatives. They dated for more than two years. It did not go well, she said.

In March 2011, Mitchell called D.C. police after an argument in which, she alleged in court documents, she was punched twice in the chest and pushed against a bed’s headboard so hard that it broke.

Police charged Johnson with misdemeanor simple assault, according to court records. But prosecutors declined to pursue the matter. Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office, declined to comment on the case.

Two months later, in May of last year, Mitchell filed for a protective order against Johnson, alleging a pattern of abuse dating back to August 2010.

"Respondent frequently tells petitioner that he is going to kill her, including making such statements several times in . . . church," an affidavit says. Mitchell said in the sworn document that Johnson threw a cup of liquid in her face in August 2010 and threw a chair at her in September 2010.

Antoinette Mitchell was taken to Howard Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries and died. Her mother told the Post that Antoinette, her second daughter, was "the best. She was my number one girl."

Charging documents are below.

Note: Due to staffing, Homicide Watch DC did not publish between mid-August and mid-October. This is among the cases we are going back to cover and we apologize for the delay in publishing.