A 23-year-old mother who believed SpongeBob ordered her to kill her 3-year-old daughter has been sentenced to life in prison.
Justine M. Johnson will spend the rest of her life in prison without the possibility of parole after she took the life of her daughter, Sutton Marie Mosser, on September 16, 2021.
Prosecutors said that hours after the killing, Johnson’s brother spotted a garbage bag with a foot of a child sticking out.
The brother quickly called 911 and when police arrived at the residence, they found Sutton’s body but the mother already fled the scene.
Johnson was found four hours later walking on railroad tracks and was taken into custody.
During the preliminary hearing, Child Protective Services (CPS) Investigator Ryan Eberline testified that the mother “did not remember the specifics of what happened” because of hallucinations induced by drug withdrawal.
“She was getting hallucinations from the TV that had instructed her to take her daughter’s life or they would kill her,” Eberline said.
“It was SpongeBob who was saying these things on the TV. If she didn’t do what she did to her daughter they would kill her. She said she was afraid for her life and she had lost her mind.”
Before the sentencing, Johnson alleged she had been suffering from mental health issues since her childhood.
“At the age of 13 I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, bipolar, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), anxiety, and depression,” she said in the courtroom, adding that she had been without medication for a year.
Johnson also claimed that she suffered hallucinations before the death of her daughter and that she could not recall any details about the killing.
“I want everyone to know that I am full of remorse and wish every day that I could trade places with [my daughter],” she added.
“Any mother would want justice. I also want justice for Sutton,” she continued. “If it was me who committed this murder I expect to be punished as any other person would be. It is what’s fair for her.”
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