Mary Johnson, a 50-yearold former Kingston resident, accepted a plea deal in August in connection with the death of her 11-year-old son. Johnson pleaded from First-Degree Murder down to Second-Degree Murder in exchange for a 20-year prison sentence. She will also get credit for time served.
Johnson was arrested on July 12, 2022 after her son, Bruce Johson Jr. was killed. Lea County Sheriff investigators were called to the Johnson residence around1:00a.m.afterBruce’s dad, Bruce Sr., called 911 and reported that his son and wife had been stabbed. Investigators arrived on scene and found the younger Bruce with multiple stab wounds.
It was reported that Bruce Jr. told police that he couldn’t feel his legs and that his mother attacked him in his sleep. He was taken to a Lubbock hospital in critical condition and died a short time later.
Mary was also found with stab wounds, but investigators found that her wounds were self-inflicted after Bruce Sr. said he had woken to screams and felt that Mary was the culprit. Doctors later confirmed that the stab wounds on Mary were self-inflicted.
Prior to the attack, Mary showed signs of having mental episodes. She posted on Facebook about being God and helping her children “ascend”.
It was reported that Bruce Sr. and his son moved to Hobbs, NM from Oklahoma because he was divorcing Mary. Even though Mary stayed in Oklahoma, she later followed her estranged husbandandsaidshewanted to live with her son while going through the divorce. Bruce Sr. told investigators that his son slept with a bat under his bed while living in Oklahoma. Bruce Jr. told his dad that he slept with the bat for protection from Mary.
According to family members, Mary was having difficulty with the divorce and court documents show she reportedly told nurses at the hospital, “If I can’t have him, no one can.”