Was Sophia desperate enough to commit murder?
The prosecution in Sophia’s trial claims greed was her motive for killing Marlyne. Shortly after Sophia and Brad Johnson started dating, Sophia began stealing money from her employer.By the time of the murder, Sophia was tens of thousands of dollars in debt, with a baby on the way. Was she desperate enough to commit murder?
Rick Buckner: I mean, what are we looking at? Is it some kind of a robbery gone bad? Is it a burglary in the house?Kelli Osler: What we are asking the court to consider this evidence for is motive in the hom– homicide. Therese Lavallee: I wanna keep this jury focused on the murder. This whole trial is about the murder. It is not about Sophia Johnson's past bad acts.
Kelli Osler: The defense is arguing that this is very prejudicial and that we are attempting to heap on a mini fraud trial on the defendant in the middle of her murder trial.prosecuting attorney for the case, Kelli Osler. And what the defense is calling mud-slinging, Osler might call… a connecting of the dots.
Sophia Johnson: Brad came in one day and I commented to my boss, the owner, I said, gosh, he is such an attractive man.Sophia Johnson: He seemed very playful and very funny, and I really liked that. Sophia Johnson: I felt so giddy by the fact that this guy was interested in me, that this guy who I thought was so hot, was interested in me.
Ah, the fat-and-happy early days of a relationship. Indulging in each other. But also, just getting to know one another. Sophia learned that Brad was divorced. And that he also worked for a telecommunications company — a competitor of the one she worked for, the one his good friend owned… and they sold a lot of the same equipment: flip phones, palm pilots. You know, early 2000s stuff. But sometime before that, Brad worked for the FBI.
RIGHT. Sophia and Brad got married in September of 2001 – almost a year to the day from their first date. But the embezzlement Sophia is referencing started just a couple months after that first date. And it started with a bad act against HER, Sophia says. According to Sophia, Jim was basically like, “I made the sale.” And she was like, buuuuut the sale never would have HAPPENED without me!
Weeks went by, and no one seemed to notice the missing money... so Sophia kept going. She started writing checks, and forging the co-owner of County Communications’ signature.before her boss, Jim, realized what was going on. He confronted Sophia, but he also spoke to his good friend, Brad, who was now Sophia’sSophia Johnson: We sat down in the middle of this driveway and we were talking for probably a good hour, and basically he says, I believe Sophia is stealing from me.
Rick Buckner: We had gotten information from the Washougal Police Department that they were doing an investigation into County Communications in which Sophia had embezzled a large amount of money.Rick Buckner: And they did call and say, you know, just FYI, Sophia Johnson's a suspect in one of our cases too.
The detectives knew from early interviews with Sean that Marlyne may have had money in the house. But now, with knowledge of a separate investigation into Sophia for stealing someone else’s money, and a LOT of it, Sean’s story… was starting to sound more believable. Motive-worthy, maybe.By the time of the murder, Sophia knows she’s in serious financial trouble. Her former boss has gone to the police about the embezzlement. It’s unclear what the full consequences of that will be.
Brad Johnson: I'm going to plead dumbness because I don't remember her, I don't remember her ever bringing home a paycheck and I don't remember her ever not bringing home a paycheck.Brad Johnson: I was in the middle of the storm and I didn't pick up on it.Shane, Sophia’s youngest brother… the lawyer… he doesn’t buy it.
This is true, as far as we know. Sophia and Brad start dating in September of 2000. The embezzlement isn’t documented to have started until November of that year. Maybe Brad put Sophia up to it? He did know the business… and Sophia’s boss… REALLY well. The audio is… NOT terrific. VHS tapes, man. But stick with him. Because what Michael would go on to say… is that his ex-wife Sophia’s name… was still on his bank account. And for a reason unknown to him, the account had been suddenly overdrawn.Michael Schoepflin: I talked to her for just a few seconds and then she said that she would, she assured me that she would call me right back.Michael wasn’t the only one trying to get a hold of Sophia that day.
Tom Duffy: Did you have any conversations with the defendant after the funeral that you have a distinct memory of? maybe Brad was in financial trouble prior to meeting Sophia. Maybe that's what actually was the motivation for inducing this 22 year old girl into embezzling from her employer.participation, at least. And Shane, of course, will forever be Sophia’s brother FIRST. The one who credits her for raising and PROTECTING him. Giving him a foundation that would help him persevere through his own period of desperation, all the way to a law degree.
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