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Martha Ann JohnsonAmerican serial killer.
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Biography of Martha Ann Johnson
- Marriage and Children
- The Deaths of her Children
- Investigation and Arrest
- Legal Proceedings and Conviction
Biography of Martha Ann Johnson
Early LifeMartha Ann Johnson, also known as Martha Ann Bowen, was born in 1955. By the age of 22, she had already been married three times.
Marriage and Children
From her first marriage in 1971, Martha had a daughter. From her second marriage in 1975, she had a son. From her third marriage to Earl Bowen, she had a son and a daughter in 1979 and 1980, respectively.
The Deaths of her Children
On September 23, 1977, Martha reported that her 23-month-old son, James William Taylor, was unresponsive. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, with SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) listed as the cause of death.
On November 30, 1980, Martha discovered her three-month-old daughter, Tabitha Jenelle Bowen, lifeless. Paramedics were unable to revive her, and her cause of death was also attributed to SIDS.
In January 1981, Martha's 31-month-old son, Earl Wayne Bowen, was found with rat poison. He was treated and discharged from the hospital, but his parents claimed he began experiencing seizures.
On February 12, 1981, Martha's son suffered cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital. Although he was temporarily saved through artificial respiration, doctors declared him brain dead and removed him from life support three days later.
Martha's 11-year-old daughter, Jenny Ann Wright, complained of chest pains. She was prescribed medication and a special chest support belt. On January 21, 1982, she was found lying face down on her mother's bed with foam coming out of her mouth. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate her, and an autopsy revealed she died from asphyxiation.
Investigation and Arrest
In December 1989, an article in "The Atlanta Constitution" raised doubts about the true cause of Martha's children's deaths, reigniting interest in the case. Investigators discovered that within 7-10 days before each child's death, Martha had serious disagreements with her husband, Bowen.
On July 3, 1989, Martha was arrested and confessed to the murders of two of her children. It was revealed that she had used her powerful 113 kg body to smother her sleeping children, causing them to suffocate one after the other. She claimed she did this to punish her husband.
Legal Proceedings and Conviction
At the beginning of her trial in April 1990, Martha recanted all her confessions. On May 5, 1990, she was found guilty of first-degree murder for the choking deaths of three out of her four children and was sentenced to death.
Martha later filed an appeal, and her death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
