While he was on the lam, Johns killed two more people – a man in Camden County and a woman in Newton County. Finally, on April 15, 1997, a Water Patrol officer and a sheriff’s deputy confronted him as he held a gun to his girlfriend’s head. The deputy shot him while the Water Patrol officer had his attention. Dennis Graves (now retired from KY3 News) reported on the arrest.
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Johns is now serving three life prison sentences for first-degree murder. A jury convicted him for the murder in Pulaski County and he pleaded guilty for the murders in Newton and Camden counties. After the trial in Pulaski County, the jury recommended and a judge sentenced Johns to death. During post-conviction appeals, another judge found Johns is mentally retarded and can’t be executed because of U.S. and Missouri Supreme Court rulings.

Editor's note: The report of Johns' capture was the first news item posted on KY3's Web site.