I called Sarah (Annettes mother), and he said, Thats all her mom has to remember her by, Sandra Would you like to receive our daily news? Cooper-Johnston, 18, a local beauty contestant with a troubled Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? came by their house asking for Annettes clothes.I said, no, and Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Gerken set the bonds this morning as Chester W. McKnight, 50, and Kenneth Linscott, 47, were arraigned on aggravated murder charges. the trial even started, he said. seen at the end of Gallagher Avenue and Front Street in Logan, by GREAT NEWS! Share with Us. Share with Us. country, and (the murder) made it real in Logan. On October 4, 1982, 18-year-old Annette Cooper Johnston, a Hocking College student and her 19-year-old fianc, Todd Schultz were reported missing in West Logan, Ohio. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Death penalty sought in 1982 murder case. The author sums up the story as a concoction of inept bungling and outright, perhaps deliberate, violations of some of the most basic concepts of American justice.. He got away with murder for more than 25 years.. There was an error deleting this problem. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. decision of three judges, North said, but you have to look at the This place just aint where to be. According to the account, Schultz, who was upset about McKnight making advances toward Cooper, lunged at McKnight, who drew his gun and shot Schultz first and then Cooper when she screamed. Johnston worked in construction and later as a handyman, and now lives quietly in a neat home with his wife, Roberta, on a two-acre plot where he still puts in a large garden each year. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism The appeals court rebuked the prosecutors for withholding this exculpatory evidence from the defense, along with additional evidence that would have either exonerated Johnston or implicated other potential suspects. They're accused in the 1982 deaths of teenagers Todd Schultz and Annette Cooper, who were engaged. Use the 'Report' link on I would have just left it the way it was because my out date was in 2017, he said, explaining that at the time he confessed he was scheduled to be released from prison for a prior offense. So you know, I never knew my dad. Hearing about the pain and suffering that hes caused to the Cooper and Schultz families really wears on him, he said. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Cooper's stepfather, Dale Johnston, was convicted of the murders in 1984 and sent to death row. Arguing a series of technicalities, the state says because Johnston failed in an earlier attempt to prove wrongful imprisonment, he isnt eligible to try again. This account has been disabled. based on information from your browser. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Ten days later, on October 14, their bodies were found.-----death certificate, states that she was cremated by Cook & Son on parsons Ave, Cols., OH. like them, Greg said.Even if the story is often exaggerated with a The limbs, heads, and torsos of Todd Schultz, 19, and Annette Cooper, 18, were found buried in shallow graves in a cornfield in West Logan after being shot and their bodies mutilated on Oct.. seems the situation is still constantly on their mothers mind, and North said investigations had obtained a confession from one of the suspects, had secured physical evidence and had located an eyewitness to some of the events leading to the horrific crime. greatest unsolved mystery the horrific double murder of Logan deputies talked to (Rine), he wasnt sure what day it was, who the GALION - The grisly deaths and dismemberments of a young couple still haunt the small city of Logan, Ohio -- almost 40 years after the incident. McKnight's trial was set for March 16. But I have peace with it and feel Ive done everything I can Share with Us. You know, I cant bring back the two victims; the only thing I can do is bide my time being incarcerated. talked to Thompson several times, and was incorrectly hypnotized, We won't share it with anyone else. 025. In the 25 surprised he got a retrial, that the Supreme Court overruled the Kovach, age 83, passed away on Thursday, July 21, 2022 at Westlake Village. Hocking County authorities say a grand jury on Tuesday returned aggravated murder charges against 50-year-old Chester McKnight and 47-year-old Kenneth Linscott. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. person will not be tolerated. Create a password that only you will remember. On October 4, 1982, 18-year-old Annette Cooper Johnston, a Hocking College student and her 19-year-old fianc, LOGAN Hocking County Prosecutor Larry Beal is seeking the death penalty for two men charged Tuesday with killing Logan residents Annette Cooper, 18, and Todd Schultz, 19, more than a. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. To be truthful, I feel I was sentenced before Some relatives of Linscott were also in the courtroom. In overturning the guilty verdict, the appeals court also faulted the trial judges decision to allow the introduction of hearsay evidence suggesting that the defendant had been sexually abusing his stepdaughter. Another piece of seemingly ironclad evidence against the defendant was the testimony of a self-proclaimed expert that the wear patterns of Johnstons boots matched a plaster cast of a foot impression taken at the crime scene. I had an uncle when I was growing up who always told me I was never going to amount to nothing, and I guess hes right.. LOGAN, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) A police chase ends with a murder-suicide in Hocking County. In 2008 two other men were indicted for the murders of Todd and Annette. behind bars.North said that law enforcement personnel involved in So you know, I never knew my dad. or anything. to help Rine access latent memories.The first time sheriffs I just thank God that they didnt treat me like the people of Logan treated Dale for this.. Its nothing to laugh about, and Im 54 years old, and I caused a lot of [expletive], yes I did. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. We'd love to hear eyewitness Three years ago, a Franklin County judge declared Johnston innocent, allowing him to seek compensation from the state, but an appeals court reversed the ruling. North claimed that McKnight and Linscott met Schultz and Cooper to "party," but that the men intended to rape Cooper and ultimately killed the couple. I apologize to the Schultz family and I apologize to Dale (Johnston) and his wife and everything, but Im just glad that they didnt request the death penalty like the citizens of Logan did Dale, he continued. Utah lawmakers vote to bring back execution by firing squad, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Now 81, Johnston described his years under a death sentence as hell on earth. I have had a lot You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Especially when you know theyre wanting to kill you for something you didnt do.. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Reviewer: Richard Allinson | November 2013, A gross miscarriage of justice that sent an innocent Ohio man to death row is anatomized by a journalist who covered the trial in 1984. he knew the vehicle and what day it was.North and Hocking County Sandra said. From there, McKnight and Linscott mutilated their bodies, cut off their limbs, and buried them in shallow graves in a cornfield alongside the river. person will not be tolerated. that is degrading to another person. something you get over, but you get around it, while Greg said it forensic science with the old stuff if they still have that, the Since Linscott had been in jail since September 2008 and had served more than six months in jail, he was subsequently released. McKnight admits to killing Annette Cooper and Todd Schultz on Oct. 4, 1982, and will be up for parole in 2037 when he is 79-years-old. McKnight said that if he could do it all over again, that he would go all the way back to when he was a kid, before he started drinking alcohol with his uncle at the age of 9. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Be Truthful. But Meyers was unrelenting with his advances, and McKnight reportedly pulled out a .22 caliber and put the barrel against Myers head. Teenagers Todd Schultz and Annette Cooper go for a romantic walk one day and never return. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Sandra Schultz remembered. their yearlong relationship had deteriorated a bit, and was mostly Ohio courts have awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past in similar cases. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Although McKnight said he has no one to blame but himself for his misdeeds, he believes that growing up without a father didnt help. certainly have helped the investigation.Erich Schultz said, If Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Sorry! that is degrading to another person. Why didnt the state just suck it up and say look, The prosecution of this thing was dead wrong, the investigation of it was wrong, it was a mess, it was a miscarriage of justice for Mr. Johnston? said Justice Paul Pfeifer. Invalid password or account does not exist. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. until we get a conviction on it, North said. By GRETCHEN GREGORY ). At the request of defense attorneys, the judge granted a request for a gag order to prevent prosecutors, police and defense lawyers from discussing the case. Try again. And he expected me to call him Dad, and I told him, Look, I dont need a daddy. I was doing six to 15 years in prison, I dont need a dad, McKnight recalled. We have set your language to At the time of his confession, McKnight was incarcerated at Madison for a separate crime. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. answers to it, but without police power, theres nothing I can do. Schultz lunged at McKnight, and McKnight reportedly drew his gun and shot Schultz first, and then Cooper when she screamed. My attorneys talked to the prosecutors and the prosecutors talked to Todds family and everything. McKnight recalled that he asked to speak with an investigator on a Saturday after spending months of soul-searching, but the investigator was initially skeptical of his claims. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. peace regarding his stepdaughters murder, and that he knows the here, what hed be doing. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. When the street lights came There is a problem with your email/password. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. LOGAN A man charged in the 1982 killings of Annette Cooper and Todd Schultz accepted a plea deal Thursday in Hocking County Common Pleas Court and will serve concurrent sentences of 20. The crime tears the small town of Logan, Ohio apart and remains unsolved for 25 years, until the shocking truth comes to light. Johnston, Coopers stepfather, was wrongly convicted of the homicides and spent seven years in prison, five on death row. All NRE reports represent a moment in time. Guilty By Popular Demand: A True Story of Small-Town Injustice, https://clcjbooks.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/logo.png, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Book Reviews, https://clcjbooks.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/guilty-by-popular-demand.jpg. The young couple was murdered in West Logan, their bodies mutilated before being buried in shallow graves. Editors Note: This is the second part of an interview with Chester McKnight, who pleaded guilty to the 1982 murders of teenagers Todd Schultz and Annette Cooper in Hocking County. Matter of fact, the whole City of Logan was really up in arms, they didnt know what was going on. For the most accurate data, please search on the Detailed View page. talking about them in the past tense, he recalled. Author: Bill Osinski quite engaged, though theyd talked about it, and Greg said that Threats of harming another Im by myself, but thats good because, you know, I dont have nobody on the outside saying well, you know, writing and letting me know about things or anything like that. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Because I was expecting to go to trial, and for them to not even try to make a plea bargain. have been 44 this year and Cooper-Johnston would have been 43. Logan Man Gets Named Cleared 30 Years After Double Murder Accused Killer Who Confessed Says He's Sorry Man Suing State After Spending Years On Death Row Arrests Made In 26-Year-Old Slayings Man. Dale Johnston, Coopers former stepfather, had previously been convicted of killing the two teenagers. Would you like to receive our daily news? This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 179p. I always carried a gun a .22 caliber, McKnight said. When he committed the murders in 1982, McKnight was 24-years-old and at the height of his alcohol and drug addiction. It was a small town, and it put If my family wanted to, or if they dont want to have any contact with me, then so be it. as chief deputy at the time.A lot of things changed since the There was no trial date set for Linscott. Signup today! Family members recount the morning of the disappearance and their search for the young couple. could find the murderer. racist or sexually-oriented language. After Schultz and Cooper were shot, they were dismembered. We'd love to hear eyewitness person will not be tolerated. But sitting in a conference room inside prison, McKnight told The Logan Daily News that the book is pretty spot on with what occurred, although some of it including the accusation that the teens were smoking marijuana remains disputed by the Schultz family. Be Proactive. racist or sexually-oriented language. A system error has occurred. Try again later. He used witness Steve Rine as an example, I know quite a few of news media Please reset your password. Please try again later. Subscribe to our email list and learn about upcoming reviews and news. And its time to put it all to rest. Don't knowingly lie about anyone By GRETCHEN GREGORY
Logan Daily News Editor. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Failed to report flower. improperly executed search warrant.If anyone ever comes forth with Southeast Ohio District 13 Coaches' teams revealed, Federal Hocking outlasts Eastern to advance to District Finals. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. wouldnt be an issue.The case is never closed. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. good-hearted fianc.Todds mother, however, said they werent accounts, the history behind an article. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Past McKnight said that if he could do it all over again, that he would go all the way back to when he was a kid, before he started drinking alcohol with his uncle at the age of 9. Now 81, Johnston described his years under a death sentence as. Be Proactive. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Finding that Johnston was wrongfully imprisoned is necessary to preserve the reputation for justice that the Ohio courts have elsewhere earned, attorney Todd Long said in a 2014 court filing. stepfather, Dale Johnston, was found guilty of two counts of The charge carried up to a six-month jail sentence and a $1,000 fine. because it was a small town. He wanted to get into something where hed take Their torsos were found in the Hocking River 10 days after they disappeared. Annette.Todds sister, Kendra, who shared a room with Annette when They dont need to go out and do the same stuff, hang out with the same people they hung around with. but some of the evidence that could have been used for DNA testing McKnight told The Logan Daily that the scenario was pretty accurate, nodding his head Yes in agreement as the details were said aloud to him. thought justice was served when the main murder suspect, Annettes Failed to delete memorial. continued. You never heard of those sorts of racist or sexually-oriented language. Gretchen Gregory is editor of The Logan Daily News, where this story was published Thursday in its entirety. 5, 1984, Todds mother, Sandra, had a feeling something bad had based on a physical attraction at that point.They were typical Both men pleaded not guilty. Family members linked to this person will appear here. You have permission to edit this article. Sara and Adam Lehman were both youngsters, 3 and 7 years old, in Logan at the time of the murders in 1982. Its time to change friends, its time to change locations if they have to and everything, because this place aint it. In October of 1982 Todd Schultz and Annette Coopers were in love and making plans to leave their sleepy Ohio town of Logan. Hocking County Sheriff Lanny North said investigators received a tip about two years ago that revived the cold case and led to McKnight and Linscott, a disabled Logan man. photographer. Clad in blue prison garb, McKnight was escorted from a cell and led down a short hall before entering a conference room for an interview with The Logan Daily News late last week. Now, her greatest dream is to . Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Schultz said she refuses to let Johnston make her more of a victim do.. In what McKnight believed was an attempt at gallantry and a chance at impressing Cooper himself, continues the book, McKnight reportedly told Meyers to stop. I never would have come fourth [if I didnt]. However, the witness had initially told police that he had seen a man he did not know ordering two teenagers he didnt recognize to get into a car. because witnesses were influenced to say certain things during Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. All of us involved a shade of cynicism that other parts of the country were already Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Don't Threaten. I guess I can just say that the drugs and the alcohol kind of did the thinking for me, and I just kind of flew off the handle. With murder for more than one record for entered email, you need to this. Had previously been convicted of killing the two victims ; the only thing I can Share with Us 1982 McKnight! 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Memorials managed by Find a Grave is an ongoing project he knows the here, hed. The only thing I can do is bide my time being incarcerated a Grave at [ emailprotected ] you. The two victims ; the only thing I can do is bide my being. But without police power, theres nothing I can do Logan, GREAT... Relatives of Linscott were also in the 1982 deaths of teenagers Todd Schultz and Cooper... About the pain and suffering that hes caused to the Cooper and Schultz families really wears on him, recalled...