Sarah Johnson broke into tears Tuesday morning when her brother testified he had not been all that close to her.
"I wouldn't say that" the siblings were close, Matt Johnson said in response to questions from defense attorneys. "Somewhat (close), I guess," he added. "Yes, of course I did" love her.
Matt Johnson, 24, is Diane Johnson's biological son and Alan Johnson's adoptive son. He is his sister's half-brother, and Alan Johnson is the only father he has ever known. His two-hour testimony Tuesday morning wrapped up the prosecution's case against Sarah Johnson, who is accused of shooting and killing her parents Sept. 2, 2003, in their Bellevue home.
"Your Honor, at this time, the state rests," said Blaine County Prosecuting Attorney Jim Thomas at the conclusion of Matt Johnson's testimony. The state argued its case for three weeks in the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, where the trial was moved following a ruling in January by 5th District Judge Barry Wood.
As the only living member of Sarah Johnson's nuclear family, Matt Johnson may know the accused killer better than anyone alive. He said his sister is a good actor and drama queen who had a tendency to lie. Throughout his testimony, he was dry-eyed and answered questions coolly. His voice swelled ever so slightly with emotion when he was asked if he loved his sister.
On the evening before Alan and Diane Johnson were killed, Sarah Johnson called her brother, who was attending classes at the University of Idaho in Moscow.
"She told me that she had gotten in trouble, which I had already known of from my Mom," Matt Johnson said. "She told me she had been punished, that her car had been taken away. It seemed odd to me that she was accepting of her punishment. She said, 'I know what they're trying to do.'"
Matt Johnson elaborated about how unusual it was for his sister to accept punishment.
"This just wasn't normal," he said, adding that he almost called his mother to discuss things. It was late, however, and he never placed that call.
"She's just not one to admit that she's wrong," Matt Johnson said. "She always has to have the last word. She always has to be right...It kind of raised a little red flag. Not that I was thinking this would happen, but her demeanor was changed."
Matt Johnson said his sister had a stormy relationship with her mother. But he said his parents "would do anything for her." He also said his sister's relationship with Bruno Santos Dominguez had created tension in the family in the weeks before his parents' murders. The previous weekend during a family wedding at the Johnson home, Sarah Johnson sought out her brother for some advice.
Sarah Johnson "seemed kind of pouty" at the wedding, Matt Johnson said. She had asked her parents if Santos Dominguez could attend and was told no.
"I told her it was kind of inappropriate for her to ask our parents," Matt Johnson said. "She knew that they didn't like him and that she was with him. I said, 'It needs to stop.'"
The last time Matt Johnson would talk with his mother was the night before she was killed. He was at school in Moscow. She called to relate a story about Sarah Johnson sleeping over at Santos Dominguez's house earlier that weekend.
"Mom was crying. Sarah had done something," he said. "She was crying most of the time. She was embarrassed. She told me about a situation with my Dad catching Sarah at Bruno's. Oh yes, she was upset."
Around 6:15 a.m. the following morning, he received a telephone call from the woman who is now his fiancé. She told him his parents had been shot.
"I kind of freaked out," he said. By 3 p.m., he arrived in Bellevue. "Sarah was running down the road toward me."
"The first thing she said is, 'They think I did it.' I said, 'No, no, no, there's no way.' I laid it out. I said I think Bruno did it. She said, 'No, there's no way he did it. He loved Alan like a father. He didn't do it. There's no way he could do it.'"
Matt Johnson testified that his sister proceeded to tell her brother about somebody arriving at the house at 2 a.m. the night before. The story was that Alan and Diane Johnson had gotten out of bed and made sure the yard was clear.
"My father would have at least called the police or let the dog out of the kennel to do its job," he said. Additionally, Diane Johnson would probably have stayed in bed.
"I said, 'really.' I honestly didn't believe her," Matt Johnson said. But he didn't say anything to her about thinking the story was a fake.
He said his sister had a proclivity for telling lies.
"Stretch is a funny word," he said. "You can stretch a lie a little bit, and you could stretch a lie a lot, and sometimes she would take it to the extreme."
Every lie was rooted in a seed of truth, Matt Johnson said.
In the weeks following the murders, the Johnson siblings spent a lot of time together, including nights at Blaine County's minimum security jail where they would be protected from any additional attacks on the family. Matt Johnson said he felt threatened and scared at that time. He also said he was afraid to ask his sister questions about what happened at his parents' home on Sept. 2, 2003.
Finally, attorneys questioned Matt Johnson about the life insurance policies his parents carried. His father had a $600,000 policy. His mother had a $80,000 policy. The policies were payable to each sibling, and all of the Johnsons' other assets were to be split between the two children.
"I'd honestly give it all back," Matt Johnson said.
But that wasn't enough for defense attorney Bob Pangburn, who made a point of asking Matt Johnson who would get Sarah Johnson's share of the inheritance if she is convicted and goes to prison.
"Me," Matt Johnson responded, but later added, "I'm here to testify for my parents," not for any financial benefit.
