Guilty plea in death of Caroline Medicine-Chavez

VIRGINIA— In a hushed St. Louis County courtroom Friday, Russell Shannon Johnson, 27, of Hibbing, haltingly described how he shoved two-and-a-half-year-old Caroline Medicine-Chavez against the wall of a Pine Mill apartment more than three years ago, killing the toddler, who was in his care at the time.

About a dozen members of Caroline’s family, who live near Tower on the Vermilion Reservation, did their best to hold back sobs as Johnson recounted the incident as part of a guilty plea to a reduced charge of first-degree manslaughter. He had pleaded not-guilty to murder in the second degree earlier this year, but he told Judge James Florey that he was now willing to accept the lesser charge.

Johnson described Caroline as “ornery” and said he couldn’t get her to stop crying on the morning of March 21, 2012. He had moved in with Caroline and her mother two weeks earlier, but Jennifer had left for a morning appointment, leaving the child in Johnson’s care.

Johnson said he knew immediately that the child had been seriously injured as a result of his actions. He said she lost consciousness almost immediately and Johnson described her breathing as “labored.” The child died in the early hours of the following day. He said he deeply regretted his actions, which have weighed on his conscience.

Caroline’s mother, Jennifer Medicine, said Johnson’s retelling was not a surprise, although it was still painful to hear. From the beginning, the family had suspected Johnson in Caroline’s deathand police had interviewed Johnson shortly after Caroline was rushed to the Virginia Regional Medical Center, now owned by Essentia. But Johnson denied any involvement and asked for an attorney, which ended the questioning and left the investigation stymied for more than a year.

Despite Johnson’s acknowledgement of his crime, Caroline’s great-aunt Roberta Porter said she heard too many excuses in Johnson’s allocution. “His tears were for himself, not for Caroline,” she said. Porter noted that up until the time Virginia police arrested Johnson last August, that he had repeatedly denied any involvement and even suggested Caroline’s family was unstable for claiming otherwise.

Long road to justice

The guilty plea marks a milestone for Caroline’s family, which has remained dogged in their search for justice. Indeed, it was a Facebook page, named Justice for Caroline, which the family maintained that ultimately helped break the case when a woman posted on the page that she had information in the case. The family put the police in touch with the witness, who eventually provided police with statements and a recording on which Johnson appears to acknowledge his guilt.

Johnson faces sentencing on Thursday, July 9, at 10 a.m., and the court ordered an Arrowhead Regional Corrections probation officer to conduct a pre-sentence investigation of Johnson's background prior to that date.

"The plea agreement is an appropriate outcome to a difficult case," said prosecutor Michelle Anderson, who works for the St. Louis County Attorney. "The agreement was reached after careful consideration of the evidence, and consultation with expert witnesses, law enforcement, and Caroline’s family and friends.”

While Caroline’s family said they had mixed feelings about the lesser charge in the case, they understood the risks inherent in going to trial. Family members said prosecutors had explained that demonstrating intent would have been the biggest hurdle in achieving a conviction on a murder charge.

While Friday’s plea was a huge step forward for the family, Caroline’s grandmother, Bessie Medicine, said she won’t be able to rest until the judge sentences Johnson next month. Johnson could face a sentence of up to 15 years in prison according to state law, and county prosecutors say they’ll argue for the maximum penalty allowed under state sentencing guidelines. And unlike Friday’s hearing, during which members of Caroline’s family remained silent, Anderson said the family will have a chance to be heard prior to sentencing and she’s encouraging them to tell the court about the impact of Caroline’s death on their lives.

For the family, despite the passage of more than three years since Caroline’s death, the emotions are still raw and they say thoughts of the little girl too often keep them from finding joy in life. Porter said she still feels guilt whenever she laughs or enjoys the antics of her other young grand nieces and nephews. “I keep thinking of what Caroline is missing,” she said.