Missouri – Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway announced this week that her agency has gotten a first-degree murder and armed criminal action guilty verdict against Lucky Johnson for killing his wife. The guilty verdict ends a four-day trial that revealed an awful story of domestic violence, deception, and planned murder.
The jury found Johnson guilty on both counts. He was given a quick sentence of life in prison without the chance of parole for first-degree murder, plus a 15-year sentence for armed criminal action that would start after that. After just ten minutes of discussion, the jury made decision about the sentence.
Johnson started the lawsuit by saying that his wife had killed herself. When the officers arrived, they found the victim with a single shotgun wound to the head and a 12-gauge gun on her body. But forensic investigation rapidly cast doubt on Johnson’s narrative. Investigators found that the path and angle of the wound did not match those of a self-inflicted gunshot. Further investigation revealed a history of abuse in the home, showing a pattern of increasing aggression that ended in the deadly gunshot.
The investigation found that Johnson shot his wife while she was sleeping and then set up the scene to make it look like she had killed herself. The prosecution’s case was built on this manipulation and other evidence of domestic abuse that had come to light before.
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Attorney General Hanaway commended the work of her team and local law enforcement.
“I am proud of the work we did in partnership with the Polk County Prosecutor’s Office to secure this conviction and receive justice for the victim’s family,” said Attorney General Hanaway. “We will continue to join forces with local prosecutors and law enforcement to protect our communities and put violent offenders behind bars.”
Polk County Prosecuting Attorney Keaton Ashlock expressed gratitude for the jury’s careful consideration and for the collaboration that made the conviction possible.
“We commend the jury for its careful consideration of the evidence and thank law enforcement officers, investigators, expert witnesses, and the state Attorneys General for their collaboration in securing justice for Darrianna Johnson, her children, and our community,” Ashlock said.
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Assistant Attorneys General Tristin M. Estep and Jeff Suddy, Jr., together with Polk County Prosecutor Ashlock, worked on the case. They got help from investigator David Southard, paralegal Jay Turner, and victim advocate Charity Rone. Judge David Munton, who oversaw the trial, is set to formally sentence Johnson in Polk County Circuit Court on January 9, 2026.
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The Attorney General’s Office said again that it would help county prosecutors in Missouri with tough and important cases, making sure that every community has the tools it needs to get justice.
