""After 43 years, justice has prevailed for De Anna Lynn Johnson," Newsom said in a statement. "I am thankful that our law enforcement partners and prosecutors never gave up hope and spent decades providing closure to her family while honoring her memory.""
""I'm especially thankful for the citizens who were willing to come forward as they helped bring closure to De Anna Lynn's loved ones after 40-plus years," Abrams said."
""Saying that her daughter drew 'her last breath at the hands of a callous coward,' she added that her family and friends 'pray for justice.'""
De Anna Lynn Johnson, 14, was found dead near her Vacaville home in November 1982. The case remained unsolved for decades despite a 2003 state-authorized reward. Investigators identified Marvin Markle as a suspect in 2017 based on witness statements. A jury convicted Markle of first-degree murder in 2025, and he received a 26-years-to-life Solano County sentence to be served consecutively to an existing life term for a 2001 Butte County murder. Governor Gavin Newsom authorized a $50,000 state reward to three individuals whose information aided the arrest and conviction. Trial witnesses, including Markle's sister, testified they heard him confess or refer to the 1982 killing. Johnson's mother described her daughter as a happy student who dreamed of becoming a social worker and called for justice.
Read at The Mercury News
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]