BUTLER COUNTY – Family members as well as an executive order by Governor Laura Kelly have tallied a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the murderer of 93 year-old Joanne Johnson of Augusta last Labor Day Weekend.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) along with Augusta law officers have been investigating Johnson’s murder since she was discovered deceased in her residence by a family member on September 3 of last year.
A KBI press release said Governor Laura Kelly has issued an executive order offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Johnson’s murder. Under the same conditions, the family of Joanne Johnson has offered to match the reward for information, increasing the total reward to $10,000.
Johnson was found by a family member after she was killed in her home at 1711 Robbins St. in Augusta, last Labor Day weekend. Authorities believe she was killed between Saturday evening, September 2, 2023 and Sunday evening, September 3, 2023.
Johnson was a white female. She was 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighed around 140 pounds. She had white hair, blue eyes, and wore glasses.
Anyone with information about this crime, no matter how small the detail might seem, is asked to contact the KBI at 1-800-KS-CRIME or Augusta Crime Stoppers at 316-775-0055. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at https://www.kbi.ks.gov/sar, or by using the P3 TIPS App on the Augusta Crime Stoppers Facebook page. The investigation is ongoing.
Dane Hicks is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School at Quantico, VA. He is the author of novels "The Skinning Tree" and "A Whisper For Help." As publisher of the Anderson County Review in Garnett, KS., he is a recipient of the Kansas Press Association's Boyd Community Service Award as well as more than 60 awards for excellence in news, editorial and photography.
