Dondre Johnson Sentenced to Jail in Funeral Home Theft Trial

A former Fort Worth funeral home owner has been handed the maximum jail sentence on two counts of felony theft.

Dondre Johnson was sentenced Thursday to two years in state jail and a $10,000 fine for each of the two counts.  The sentences, say prosecutors, will run concurrently.

The sentencing phase of the trial wrapped earlier Thursday morning and the jury received the case for deliberations at 9:34 a.m.  By noon, they had reached their sentence.

After the sentence came victim impact statement's, where the victims were able to address Johnson face-to-face in court. The victims' loved ones were either found decomposing in the Johnson Family Mortuary in July 2014 or were given the wrong remains between 2012 and 2014.

"You preyed on the weak, you preyed on the grieving, how dare you do your people and your church like that," said Michelle Jones.

"As much as I feel you are a disgrace to the black community, young African American entrepreneurs, the mortuary community and North Texas as a whole, I believe that even you and your indespicable and inhumane acts are not a mistake," Tranisha Davis, referring to how God does everything for a reason.

Davis, who buried someone's cremated remains at DFW Cemetery while under the impression it was her father, said the journey through the case has brought the victims and their families together. Her father's ashes were found in a box at the mortuary a day after the decomposing bodies were found.

Prosecutors said they were pleased with the outcome, but know it doesn't make the victims whole.

"One thing to remember about this case," said Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Harry White. "While a man was sentenced to jail today the people that this case is about is the victims and the families. We are gratified by the cooperation we got from the familes and we know that nothing we can do can make whole what they suffered."

Defense attorney Alex Kim was disappointed with the result as he had hoped probation would be the outcome, especially since Johnson has young children who will now need care from relatives with his wife in federal jail.

"It's always disappointing," Kim said. "I think in, really, reality it's more negligent than it was a malice toward the people, toward the victims."

Kim indicated Johnson will appeal, which means he will be appointed a new attorney.

Kim still represents Johnson on the seven misdemeanor charges of abuse of a corpse, but at this time it's unclear if and when the DA's office may pursue those lesser charges. Prosecutors could not comment on that case on Thursday, but did say abuse of a corpse should be more than a misdemeanor.

"I think this is a statement, that this case makes a statement that abuse of a corpse is not a misdemanor or shouldn't be a misdemeanor," White said. 

Dondre Johnson's family declined to speak on camera after the sentence on Thursday, however his twin brother Derrick did issue a short statement to media covering the trial.

"I want to personally apologize to all the families for what has taken place," Derrick Johnson said. "I wasn't there but that's my brother and we're both Christians and I'm doing what Jesus would do and still show love in spite of everything."

Family Still Without Ashes

Several families spoke to the media briefly after the court proceedings. That's where they indicated that their faith and this event has helped bring them together.

"We stand together today to thank the jury, we of course want to thank the district attorneys, we want to thank the judge as well for ensuring that justice was served today," said Tranisha Davis.

Some of the most moving victim impact statements and comments afterward came from Felicia Jones, who says she still doesn't have her mothers remains.

"You promised us our mother’s ashes and to this day we still don’t have them," Felicia testified.

Later when speaking with the media she pleaded for the public's help in finding her mother's ashes. She asks anyone who had cremation services at Johnson Family Mortuary from 2012 through 2014 to check their ashes for the number "4065." 

Anyone who might find that number is asked to call the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office.

Morning Proceedings

On Thursday the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office called it’s final witness in the punishment phase.

Chris Ramsey, who runs a cremation service, testified that when they went to cremate Opal Anderson’s remains they found the decomposing body of a baby between her legs.

The baby was in a cardboard casket and Ramsey testified that it appeared to be badly decomposed. He said he thought Dondre Johnson was trying to sneak it in with Anderson’s remains.

Ramsey said they cremated Anderson’s remains, returned the baby’s body to Johnson and told him they would no longer do business with him. The baby was identified as Baby Booker, one of the bodies found in July 2014 at the Johnson Family Mortuary.

The defense called two witnesses as part of its case. First was Donnessa Johnson, Dondre’s 18-year-old daughter. Donnessa testified that she has three younger siblings that she’s been taking care of while he’s been in jail during this case. Her testimony was brief and the state objected to the relevance of the defense asking about the whereabouts of Rachel Hardy.

Hardy is in federal prison on food stamp fraud, but the jury did not hear that.

The other defense witness was Rodney Knotts, of the Tarrant County supervision corrections department. The defense tried to show the jury how stringent probation could be.

In closing arguments attorney Alex Kim said the best way to keep Dondre Johnson from the funeral business was to give him the longer of the two punishments. He argued for five years probation over the six months to two years in state jail.

“Nothing will ever fix the harm done to these victims, but you as a juror can get these families their money back,” Kim argued, referring to restitution.

But Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Sid Mody argued for a tougher penalty during his closing arguments.

“He keeps doing the same thing, over and over again, he doesn’t seem to get it,” Mody argued. “You put him on probation, it’s going to be the same thing, over and over again.”

Mody said jail time is the only acceptable punishment, because Johnson had a previous mortuary shut down in 2010, but then started Johnson Family Mortuary in 2011. Testimony during the punishment phase revealed that Johnson is currently running a service that picks up deceased bodies at hospitals and funeral homes.

“Dondre Johnson needs to sit in state jail for two years,” Mody said. He encouraged the jury to send a message to Dondre Johnson that his behavior is unacceptable.

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