UPDATE: Missouri death row inmate to be executed Tuesday

St. Louis, Mo., Jul 31, 2023 / 16:00 pm

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on Sunday evening vacated its own July 25 stay of execution for Johnny Johnson, a St. Louis-area man who is now once again scheduled to die Aug. 1. 

Catholics in St. Louis and across Missouri — as well as Pope Francis himself — had advocated for a stay of Johnson’s execution, citing the Church’s teaching on the admissibility of the death penalty as well as arguments from Johnson’s attorneys that he is not mentally fit to understand his punishment. 

“We are disappointed that the stay has been reversed and that the execution will presumably proceed, especially with questions surrounding Mr. Johnson’s mental capacity,” said Jamie Morris, executive director and general counsel for the Missouri Catholic Conference.

“We continue to pray for the victim, Casey Williamson, and her family, Mr. Johnson, and for an end to the death penalty in Missouri,” Morris said. 

Johnson, 45, was convicted of first-degree murder for killing 6-year-old Casey Williamson in 2002. His appeal for clemency was thrown out by the Missouri Supreme Court in June, and he was set to be executed by lethal injection prior to the court’s intervention. Johnson will be the fourth person executed in Missouri this year. 

The 2002 killing took place just across the train tracks from Sacred Heart Parish in the town of Valley Park, which is located off Interstate 44 in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Johnson, a friend of the Williamson family, had lured Casey to an abandoned glass factory and attempted to sexually assault her. When she tried to escape, he killed her with bricks and rocks and buried her body in a pit less than a mile from her home. 

Father Robert “Rosy” Rosebrough, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish at the time, visited the Williamson family after Casey was killed to offer prayers, support, and the use of the parish church and cemetery at no cost, the St. Louis Review reported. 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, reflecting an update promulgated by Pope Francis in 2018, describes the death penalty as “inadmissible” and an “attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” (No. 2267). The change reflects a development in Catholic doctrine in recent years. St. John Paul II, calling the death penalty “cruel and unnecessary,” encouraged Christians to be “unconditionally pro-life” and said that “the dignity of human life must never be taken away, even in the case of someone who has done great evil.”

The Missouri Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s Catholic bishops, in a July 24 letter formally requested clemency on Johnson’s behalf, asking Republican Gov. Mike Parson to commute his sentence to life imprisonment without parole.

“Casey’s death was a tragic waste of life, and our hearts and prayers are with her family at this difficult time. Sadly, no punishment will restore her to her loved ones. Some may argue society needs the death penalty to protect life; we strongly believe, however, that society can adequately protect human life without capital punishment,” the letter, shared with CNA, reads.

“Looking beyond this particular case, as religious and civic leaders we are also concerned that the use of the death penalty promotes revenge as a principle of criminal justice. As imperfect human beings, the grace of God is not something we receive because we deserve it; rather, it is something he gives to us freely as an act of mercy. Likewise, although you may believe Mr. Johnson is deserving of capital punishment, we appeal to you as the governor of Missouri to commute his sentence to life without parole.”

In an April letter from Archbishop Christoph Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S. and Pope Francis’ official representative, the Vatican also requested clemency for Johnson “on the basis of his, and our own, shared humanity.”

“Our faith teaches us that every human life is made in the image and likeness of God,” Pierre wrote. 

“Mr. Johnson has indeed forfeited his liberty by his criminal conduct, but he has not forfeited his humanity. I prayerfully ask you to consider that now Mr. Johnson is entirely removed from any participation in civil society and would remain so for life, even if his death sentence were commuted.”

The Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), a national advocacy organization that demonstrates against the death penalty and had praised the appeals court’s July 25 action, expressed disappointment Monday morning. 

“As Catholics committed to upholding the sanctity of all life, we are deeply disappointed that the courts have cleared the way for Johnny Johnson to be executed,” CMN’s executive director Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy told CNA. 

“Like so many others on death row, Johnny has severe mental illness and developmental disabilities. His lawyers believe he does not even understand the reason for his looming execution. All executions violate human dignity, but in cases like Johnny’s, we see how the death penalty also targets some of the most vulnerable among us. We stand in solidarity with Catholics throughout Missouri and across the country who will pray and bear witness to this atrocity.”

Murphy noted that Johnson’s attorneys have argued that Williamson is too mentally ill to understand his punishment and ​​was off his medications and likely in a state of psychosis when he committed the crime.

“Johnny Johnson should not be put to death. As we see in Johnny’s case, the system of capital punishment is too broken, too cruel, too disrespectful of human dignity,” Murphy continued. 

“In a special way, we pray for the precious child, Casey Williamson, whose life was cut short by an act of terrible violence. We ask God to bring comfort and peace to her family, as they continue on their journey of healing.”

The victim’s father, Ernie Williamson, reportedly opposes Johnson’s execution. Johnson’s attorneys describe Williamson as “a deeply religious man, and he is guided by his faith, which directs love, not hate.”

St. Louis has a notable history when it comes to Catholic opposition to the death penalty. In January 1999, Pope John Paul II begged then-Governor Mel Carnahan to spare the life of Darrell Mease, a notorious triple murderer who was scheduled to die soon after the visit. The very next morning, Carnahan — a Baptist and a staunch supporter of the death penalty — officially commuted Mease’s sentence to life in prison, despite weathering political backlash.