Stacey Johnson suffocated her 2-month old with a pacifier and blanket

**thehesbomb** · July 7th, 2009, 11:22 PM

ST. JOHN, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) - A St. John, Missouri, woman is accused of murdering her two-month-old son by suffocating him and even seasoned police officers are disturbed by the accusations in the case. Investigators say the case first broke in the early morning hours the Fourth of July. The mother was charged with murder Tuesday afternoon after police say she confessed to what happened in her third interview. Stacey Johnson, 32, is charged with second degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child first degree.

Police say she suffocated her two-month-old baby boy by putting a pacifier in his mouth, then wrapping a receiving blanket around his mouth and nose to try and keep the pacifier in his mouth.

The baby is identified by a family member as Tyler Goss. Investigators say Johnson told them the baby was crying and she was trying to calm him down.

FOX 2 was told the crime happened at Johnson's home on the 2900-block of Endicott in St. John.

Police say Johnson put the baby down, then the child started to fuss. That's when Johnson put the pacifier in his mouth and wrapped the blanket around him.

We're told Tyler was a premature baby. Johnson is jailed on a $200,000 cash only bond.

http://www.fox2now.com/news/sns-ap-m...,4525511.story

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story...179540&catid=3

**ImmortalOne** · July 8th, 2009, 12:20 AM

..... Sometimes I wonder about the presence of God and why he would allow people to have children who are going to do these things to them.

**Silvahalo** · July 8th, 2009, 01:33 AM

Police say a mother trying to quiet her baby instead accidentally suffocated him. It happened over the Fourth of July weekend in St. John.

Stacey Johnson told police her son slept better with his pacifier. She explained that she was trying to find a way to keep it in his mouth. Police said how she did it proved to be deadly. ..you mean you slept better.
[...]
It happened just before 12:45 a.m. on July4, in the 2900 block of Endicott. Relatives said Johnson had tried this once the week before. But this time, when Johnson went to check on her son, he wasn't breathing.

"I think she did it to keep the pacifier in his mouth. And by tying it around his face and his mouth I don't know if she was in the right state of frame to where she thought it was going to suffocate him," said Teresa Johnson, Stacey's mother.

Stacey did not have a phone, so she ran to a neighbor for help. He went to the house and began CPR, but it was too late. Tyler Goss was pronounced dead at the hospital. Now relatives wish something more had been done to prevent this.

Relatives said Stacey Johnson had a history of depression and bipolar disorder. They said the Division of Children and Family Services had been called to the house several times previously, but nothing had come of it. They honestly don't understand how this could have happened.

"It's hard. It's really hard on me," said Teresa Johnson. "My heart's breaking for my daughter and for my grandson that we're going to have to be burying."

So baby Tyler was a preemie. I know how hard is it is to care for a preemie and exhausted from childbirth on top of that....and 2 1/2 mo. was nothing for me because of the raging infection I had right after child birth that almost killed me... So yes, I would say my state of mind was compromised. I even tried to find a way to keep the paci in my son's mouth but all he wanted was mama's breast....sigh, so many a late night with baby to breast using me as a paci. Amidst all the insanity I still would never consider tying a fuckn' blanket around his face to keep the paci in. That was clearly a hazard and preemies already have compromised breathing so I would never fathom trying something so risky.

Was this woman's intentions to kill her baby?, I'm not sure, but I think maybe not if she's not lying, but she sure as fuck dismissed a precarious situation that put her baby at risk. She opted for sleep for herself than to deal with her newborn. Lady, I once contemplated giving my soul up for a good nights sleep....no shit. All mothers have been there, we know that motherhood can be so taxing at times, we put our children first....at least you're supposed to. I really hope she did not mean to kill baby Tyler. I'm hoping she just seriously fucked up, still I'm really pissed she took a chance and it cost Tyler's life. How will she ever forgive herself? how?.....and grandma, as hard is it is on you, I do not envy your position in this, Tyler is the only one that really lost here...this is hardest on him.

Rest in peace baby Tyler, you should have been priority, sorry sweet one.

**sleepinwithangels** · July 8th, 2009, 01:44 AM

I , myself have tried everything SHORT of wrapping my kids head in a blankie to keep the binky in...and by that I mean I somehow convinced myself that my 2 week old baby would hold it in by placing her hand on it while she slept..im sure we all know how well that went..

I would liek to know if they are using the word tied as in she wrapped it around his head or actually like tied, with a knot....if she tied it with a knot i think its pretty obvious what she was trying to do..but if she wrapped it around his head loosely i can see the "i was just trying to keep him quiet defense"...

either way i think she sucks...for ever putting herself in front of her son...

**ineedanap** · July 8th, 2009, 09:46 AM

My kid never would take a binky. She'd pop it out as soon as we put it in her mouth. Next time, I'll remember the blanket trick......

**coffee achiever** · July 8th, 2009, 05:34 PM

http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com...-homicide0.txt

A St. John woman was charged Tuesday in Saturday's smothering death of her 2-month-old son.

Stacey Johnson, 30, of the 2900 block of Endicott Avenue, is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

...

Johnson is being held under a $200,000 bond at the St. Louis County Jail. Her other three children, all under 6 years old, have been placed with relatives, he said.

**AngelFire** · July 8th, 2009, 07:53 PM

That's due to the fact that you are a REAL MOTHER!!!

**ImmortalOne** · July 8th, 2009, 10:32 PM

Who needs Paci's when you can co-sleep (safely of course).... stupid people, she probably would've failed at that too.

**Jaded** · July 10th, 2009, 05:20 AM

I front paged this one....

http://www.dreamindemon.com/2009/07/...eath-by-binky/

It just broke my heart....

**Dakota Valkyrie** · June 9th, 2011, 09:57 AM

Stacey Johnson of St. Ann has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter in the suffocation death of two month old Tyler Goss.

The child died while Johnson was living in nearby St. John and according to police reports, Johnson wrapped a blanket around the baby's face to hold the pacifier in his mouth. Officials said Johnson was trying to keep the baby from crying.

The plea agreement was made after extensive psychiatric evaluations were conducted on Johnson and her three other children were removed from the home.

Johnson was ordered to serve nine months in the county jail for the child's death, plus five years probation on her endangering the welfare of a child conviction. The Honorable Colleen Dolan was presiding over the case.

Under the plea deal, Johnson must continue to receive psychiatric treatment, submit to random urinalysis and obey all directives from the Family Court and the Missouri Division of Family Services.

http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/262...-infants-death