OfficerBlueBullitt County, KY – Kentucky Lawmaker Dan Johnson killed himself on Wednesday amid allegations that he raped a 17-year-old girl who was a member of his church, and now Johnson’s wife says that she’s running for his seat.
Rebecca Johnson sent a news release to the Associated Press on Thursday saying that her husband’s suicide was a “high-tech lynching based on lies and half-truths.”
She announced in the press release that she intends on replacing her husband in the state legislature.
Just before he killed himself, he posted his suicide note to Facebook, which has since been deleted (copy below).
After law enforcement was alerted to Johnson’s suicide note on Wednesday, they tracked Johnson’s phone to a bridge off Greenwell Ford Road in Mount Washington, according to The Washington Post.
When authorities arrived, they found Johnson dead from a gunshot wound to the head. They recovered the gun on scene.
Politicians from both parties had been calling for Johnson’s resignation after the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting released a report on Monday which detailed allegations that Johnson woke his daughter’s 17-year-old friend during a sleepover in 2013, groped her, stuck his tongue in her mouth, shoved his hand down her pants, and penetrated her.
The assault was reported in 2013, and prompted an investigation by the Louisville Metro Police Department.
The investigation revealed a social media message to his victim where he claimed that he was “drugged” at a party, and didn’t remember anything.
In the middle of the investigation, the detective spoke with the victim’s mother who said that the victim was “busy” and having second thoughts about pushing the case.
The case was then closed by the detective, with the excuse that the victim dropped her complaint – except she didn’t. Johnson was never even interviewed by the police.
After the report came out on Monday, the state’s Attorney General said that the State House of Representatives should move to expel Johnson, according to PIX11.
Johnson denied any wrongdoing, which was echoed in his Facebook suicide note:
After news of the suicide broke, politicians took to social media to offer their condolences:
Do you think that Dan Johnson should get out of being labeled as a child rapist because he may be innocent but can no longer defend himself? We’d like to hear from you. Please let us know in the comments.