An autopsy performed Wednesday determined Robert Johnson’s death was a suicide and Scott Johnson’s death a homicide, according to Butler County Coroner Dr. Lisa Mannix. Both died of gunshot wounds, the coroner said.
Two 911 tapes released Wednesday by Hamilton police provided some insight into how the tragic events may have unfolded. Scott Johnson’s girlfriend placed a frantic call to 911, telling a dispatcher that she was on the phone with Scott when he started “screaming and crying on the phone.”
“I didn’t know what was wrong, and then I heard gunshots,” she sobbed. “He said his dad freaked out on him earlier.”
Scott Johnson was found by officers in the hallway closet with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his left side, according to police.
In another 911 call, Robert Johnson’s brother, David Johnson, who also lived at the residence and discovered his brother’s body, can be heard crying frantically that “Bobby shot himself with a .38” caliber weapon.
“He’s dead, man. He took a .38 and blew his brains out,” he yelled to the dispatcher as he pleaded for him to send help. “He’s on the floor dying … Why did you kill yourself?”
Gidget Ackerson, Robert Johnson’s niece, said David Johnson returned home and found his brother dead, but he did not know Scott was in the house.
Hamilton detective Richard Burkhardt said there were no prior police incidents reported at the Johnsons’ home, and neither the father nor the son had any prior contact with police.
Family members gathered at the home Wednesday morning to comfort one another.
Ackerson said the family had no clue why her uncle turned violent.
“The family is really crushed about what happened,” said Ackerson, of Morgan Twp. “We just don’t understand. Nobody saw this coming.”
Ackerson said Robert Johnson had recently retired from his job as a corrections officer, and she was unaware of any conflicts he may have had with his son.
“Maybe some day we will know why, but it really doesn’t matter,” she said. “They are both gone and there is nothing we can do to bring them back.”
Scott Johnson’s Facebook page lists his relationship status as “engaged” to Amber Lairson. Lairson’s Facebook page, which shows pictures of the couple hugging, has posts from friends offering words of support.
“I want him to hold me. I want to hear him tell me he loves me one more time,” Lairson wrote in a post.
The Johnsons’ next door neighbor Pamala Rowland said she knew Robert Johnson as “Bob,” and waved to him when he was out.
“He was retired and was home a lot,” she said. “He always said if I needed anything to give him a holler.”
Rowland said Robert Johnson had back problems and would walk for his health. She was watching television Tuesday night and did not hear any gunshots.
“I did hear a bunch of sirens,” Rowland said. “And they didn’t go by, they stopped right outside our houses.”
Then, she said, there was a lot of crying, screaming and yelling.
“It is so terrible,” said Rowland, who added she cried, too, upon learning what happened.
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