Dakota Valkyrie
October 14th, 2010, 07:37 PM
A Lawrence County father beat his children’s grandmother and later killed himself when confronted by law enforcement Monday night, authorities said.
Sheriff Gene Mitchell said Johnny Hanvy shot himself after deputies tracked him to a house in rural Lawrence County shortly after Barbara Johnson, 58, of Courtland, was found severely beaten in nearby woods.
[...]
The sheriff said Johnson was beaten in the head and face after she apparently was kidnapped by Hanvy, 46, when she went to her daughter’s house to pick up her three grandchildren.
Mitchell said Johnson and her husband have had custody of the children for several years.
“We don’t know for sure what set him off, and we’ll never know for sure, but we believe it was the custody issue,” Mitchell said. “It boils down to the fact that he didn’t like it that (the grandparents) had custody of the children.”
Mitchell said Johnson, who was barely conscious when she was found, was flown from the scene to Huntsville Hospital.
“She was in pretty bad shape, but she was able to talk with us,” Mitchell said. “She told me what had happened, and when I asked if she was shot or cut, she told me he just beat her.”
He added Johnson told deputies who attacked her.
Mitchell said his office was alerted to a possible problem around 8 p.m. when Johnson’s husband reported that she had not returned after going to Hanvy’s residence to pick up the children, who range in age from 10 to 15 years old. Hanvy lived at 145 Lawrence 560, Courtland, with his wife, who is Johnson’s daughter. The children were visiting their parents, authorities said.
Mitchell said deputies were sent to the area to search for Johnson and found her car near a wooded area behind Hanvy’s house.
“From what we understand, everything seemed normal,” Mitchell said. “In fact, Hanvy told the children to go inside and get their stuff together to go with Johnson.
“While the children were inside, Hanvy forced his way into the car with Mrs. Johnson and he basically had taken her hostage at this point, forcing her to drive back into the woods.”
Once they got to the wooded area, Mitchell said it appears Hanvy forced her to stop the car and then used different objects to beat Johnson. He said bloody sticks were found near the car and could have been used to assault Johnson.
“She took a very severe beating to the head. He left her there for dead,” Mitchell said.
[...]
Mitchell said when Hanvy returned to the house without Johnson, he told the children that their grandmother was not coming back.
“He told them to get their stuff together and he would get the truck and take them to the Johnsons’ house,” Mitchell said. “He left to get the truck, but never came back.”
[...]
“From what we understand, he had a gun in his pants and pulled it out when he walked outside the house,” he said. “When (deputies) got out of the car, he met them in the yard and he had the gun. The deputies drew their weapons and tried to get him to drop his, but instead he shot and killed himself. We were still at (Hanvy’s) house and we heard a pop. I just knew what had happened.
[...]
http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20101013/NEWS/101019912
Barbara Johnson, 58, remains in serious condition at Huntsville Hospital. Her son, John Johnson, and daughter, Marcy Johnson, said their mother underwent multiple surgeries to treat her injuries, among them a fractured skull, that she suffered during an attack on her son-in-law's property.
[...]
John Johnson said his father was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher as he drove to Hanvy's home to look for his wife. The grandchildren, a 10-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy, were still at the home. Gene Johnson said his grandson told him when he arrived, “I think my daddy may have killed my grandmother.”
[...]
Based on her injuries, the Johnson family believes a weapon, possibly a hammer, was used in the attack.
“It's a miracle that she was alive enough to make a noise to be found, especially since she suffered such head trauma,” John Johnson said.
He said his family believes Hanvy intended for Barbara Johnson to die and that he dumped her far away from her vehicle in attempt to “hide what he did.” In addition to severe head injuries, Barbara Johnson, who is 4 feet 11 inches tall, according to her son, also suffered an injury to her right hand during the attack.
[...]http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20101014/NEWS/101019889/1011/NEWS?Title=Family-at-victim-s-side-at-hospital
This is from a cached version of the Legal Section of the local paper (Sept 2010). Two notices were printed, one for each child.
http://i0.simplest-image-hosting.net/168bf183b2abe8bc9188aacc163dd507/-dd-1416.jpg
Sheriff Gene Mitchell said Johnny Hanvy shot himself after deputies tracked him to a house in rural Lawrence County shortly after Barbara Johnson, 58, of Courtland, was found severely beaten in nearby woods.
[...]
The sheriff said Johnson was beaten in the head and face after she apparently was kidnapped by Hanvy, 46, when she went to her daughter’s house to pick up her three grandchildren.
Mitchell said Johnson and her husband have had custody of the children for several years.
“We don’t know for sure what set him off, and we’ll never know for sure, but we believe it was the custody issue,” Mitchell said. “It boils down to the fact that he didn’t like it that (the grandparents) had custody of the children.”
Mitchell said Johnson, who was barely conscious when she was found, was flown from the scene to Huntsville Hospital.
“She was in pretty bad shape, but she was able to talk with us,” Mitchell said. “She told me what had happened, and when I asked if she was shot or cut, she told me he just beat her.”
He added Johnson told deputies who attacked her.
Mitchell said his office was alerted to a possible problem around 8 p.m. when Johnson’s husband reported that she had not returned after going to Hanvy’s residence to pick up the children, who range in age from 10 to 15 years old. Hanvy lived at 145 Lawrence 560, Courtland, with his wife, who is Johnson’s daughter. The children were visiting their parents, authorities said.
Mitchell said deputies were sent to the area to search for Johnson and found her car near a wooded area behind Hanvy’s house.
“From what we understand, everything seemed normal,” Mitchell said. “In fact, Hanvy told the children to go inside and get their stuff together to go with Johnson.
“While the children were inside, Hanvy forced his way into the car with Mrs. Johnson and he basically had taken her hostage at this point, forcing her to drive back into the woods.”
Once they got to the wooded area, Mitchell said it appears Hanvy forced her to stop the car and then used different objects to beat Johnson. He said bloody sticks were found near the car and could have been used to assault Johnson.
“She took a very severe beating to the head. He left her there for dead,” Mitchell said.
[...]
Mitchell said when Hanvy returned to the house without Johnson, he told the children that their grandmother was not coming back.
“He told them to get their stuff together and he would get the truck and take them to the Johnsons’ house,” Mitchell said. “He left to get the truck, but never came back.”
[...]
“From what we understand, he had a gun in his pants and pulled it out when he walked outside the house,” he said. “When (deputies) got out of the car, he met them in the yard and he had the gun. The deputies drew their weapons and tried to get him to drop his, but instead he shot and killed himself. We were still at (Hanvy’s) house and we heard a pop. I just knew what had happened.
[...]
http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20101013/NEWS/101019912
Barbara Johnson, 58, remains in serious condition at Huntsville Hospital. Her son, John Johnson, and daughter, Marcy Johnson, said their mother underwent multiple surgeries to treat her injuries, among them a fractured skull, that she suffered during an attack on her son-in-law's property.
[...]
John Johnson said his father was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher as he drove to Hanvy's home to look for his wife. The grandchildren, a 10-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy, were still at the home. Gene Johnson said his grandson told him when he arrived, “I think my daddy may have killed my grandmother.”
[...]
Based on her injuries, the Johnson family believes a weapon, possibly a hammer, was used in the attack.
“It's a miracle that she was alive enough to make a noise to be found, especially since she suffered such head trauma,” John Johnson said.
He said his family believes Hanvy intended for Barbara Johnson to die and that he dumped her far away from her vehicle in attempt to “hide what he did.” In addition to severe head injuries, Barbara Johnson, who is 4 feet 11 inches tall, according to her son, also suffered an injury to her right hand during the attack.
[...]http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20101014/NEWS/101019889/1011/NEWS?Title=Family-at-victim-s-side-at-hospital
This is from a cached version of the Legal Section of the local paper (Sept 2010). Two notices were printed, one for each child.
http://i0.simplest-image-hosting.net/168bf183b2abe8bc9188aacc163dd507/-dd-1416.jpg