GABRIEL JOHNSON - 8 months (2009) - Tempe AZ/Miami Beach FL

PHOENIX – The mother of the Tempe baby who has been missing for
nearly two years will not be released to house arrest and must appear in
court in a few weeks for her final competency hearing.

Elizabeth Johnson, who has rarely appeared in person in court for
scheduled hearings, saw Judge Paul McMurdie, who made those rulings,
face to face Thursday.

Johnson is facing charges of child abuse, kidnapping and conspiracy
to commit custodial interference in connection with disappearance of her
son, Gabriel, in 2009. He was just 8 months old at the time.

The case and subsequent investigation have been full of twists and
turns with Johnson saying she killed the baby and then changing her
story to say she gave him to a mysterious couple in San Antonio, Texas.

Johnson has been in jail since she was extradited back to Phoenix from Florida in January 2010.

The last time Gabriel was seen alive was in photos taken in a San
Antonio hotel room shortly before that. Despite an extensive multi-state
search and investigation, there has been no sign of Gabriel in the
nearly two years since then.

On Thursday, McMurdie made it clear that Johnson must be present at
her final competency hearing, which is slated for Sept. 16. He said
there will be no more delays in the process.

There have been conflicting opinions on whether Johnson is competent
to stand trial now or in the future. Initially Johnson was ruled
incompetent to stand trial in June 2010. Then she was ruled competent
in September 2010, but in May was ordered to undergo another
psychological evaluation.

A final decision is expected at the September hearing.

McMurdie also denied the defense’s request to have Johnson
transferred to house arrest, which means she will remain behind bars for
the foreseeable future.

If she is found incompetent, Johnson could be ordered to a
psychiatric facility rather than face a jury on those kidnapping,
child-abuse and custodial interference charges.
http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Baby-Gabriels-mother-denied-house-arrest-ordered-to-appear-for-next-hearing-128468868.html

16th September, 2011
PHOENIX - The mother of a missing baby Gabriel appeared in court
Friday as a judge heard testimony on whether she is fit to stand trial.
Elizabeth Johnson did not testify. Instead, she heard attorneys on both sides
read letters she has written from jail and sent to family and friends.
The judge also revealed Johnson has even sent him several letters.
At issue is whether Johnson is competent to stand trial in connection with
the disappearance of her then 9-month-old son, Gabriel.
He has still never been found and it's not clear what happened to him.
Investigators have said Johnson has changed her stories and, at one point, said she
killed her son. She has also said she gave him away.
The key issue at Friday’s hearing was whether she can assist her attorneys in her defense.
Her lawyer said she doesn't trust him and isn't cooperating.
Prosecutors argue she likes her attorneys and has bragged about them.
The next hearing is set for Sept. 30.

Read more: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/baby-gabriel-mother-elizabeth-johnson-appears-in-court#ixzz1YG296Sjv

Mom's letters reveal possible clues about Baby Gabriel's disappearance

PHOENIX -- We are learning more about the Baby Gabriel case in letters written by Gabriel's mother Elizabeth Johnson. The 45-pages worth of letters were released Monday by a judge in Arizona.

Baby Gabriel hasn't been seen alive since December of 2009 when he was here in San Antonio. His mother Elizabeth Johnson is charged with kidnapping, child abuse, and custodial interference and is being held without bond in Arizona.

For the first time since the case began, the public got a glimpse into the mind of Elizabeth Johnson and some possible clues behind Gabriel's disappearance.

Early on in the letters to the judge overseeing her case, Elizabeth Johnson tries to convince the judge of her mental stability, writing "I am clearly competent. The mental hospital is my worse nightmare. I can't wait to prove everyone wrong."

Most of her writings are spent bashing her lawyers and the justice system. She then challenges anyone to prove she has anything to do with the disappearance of her son.

"What can anyone say I did wrong? Really? They don't know. I know," Elizabeth wrote.

But the most compelling part of her letters is when, for the first time, she talks about missing Baby Gabriel and gives a glimpse of what may have happened to her baby.

She stated in her letters: "I love my son more than anything, and I've missed him being in my arms or on my hip more than anything. The hardest, most selfless thing to do is to give your child away. In the end, I knew it wasn't fair to Gabriel to live a life with me. I am a train wreck. I don't owe anyone an explanation."

In the letters, Johnson repeatedly asks to have her lawyers removed from her case and to allow her to be under house arrest. Last month, the judge denied both of those requests.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Moms-letters-reveal-possible-clues-about-Baby/mMcH1WqbrEifZUzK-jXLPA.cspx


Letters
http://www.woai.com/media/lib/12/a/8/e/a8e0815a-1921-46d9-9caa-fb1a6f01a497/Johnsonletterstojudge.PDF

I read with great detail the letters composed by EJ.
While she claims to have no formal education she is by no means illiterate.
Her vocabulary and quotes are college-level yet her spelling and construction is telling.
It is an interesting insight into the "persecuted" mind. Everything that is happening is everybody's fault but hers. She feels tortured, abused and used by all around her.
I am, by no means, a graphologist but one thing I do remember from my readings on that topic that is consistent throughout all the letters.
All of the cross-bars on her T's are well below the half way point. This is an indicator of very low self-esteem, as I recall.
The other thing that jumped out in the earlier letters was the mixture of handwriting with lettering. IIRC this indicates a mind that is rambling and not focused.
All things aside, I just hope that poor child is still alive and well with someone somewhere. Such a shame...

A judge has ruled that the jailed mother of an Arizona boy missing since
December 2009 is incompetent to stand trial.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Paul
McMurdie also ruled Friday that Elizabeth Johnson's condition could be
restored to the point that she could eventually stand trial.
The Arizona Republic says four of five
doctors who evaluated Johnson found her to be incompetent. Three say she
could be restored with medicine and counseling.
Johnson's 8-month-old son Gabriel was last
seen with her in December 2009 in Texas. Authorities still don't know whether the boy is alive.
She's charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit custodial interference and child abuse.
Johnson originally claimed she killed the baby, but later said she gave the child to a couple in San Antonio.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/09/30/judge-rules-mother-missing-arizona-boy-incompetent-to-stand-trial/#ixzz1ZUsLzzCw

Elizabeth Johnson, the mother of missing Baby Gabriel, is competent to stand trial, a Maricopa County psychologist said in a report discussed in court Wednesday.

Maricopa County Judge Paul McMurdie read the findings of county psychologist Thomas Geen at the hearing. In October, McMurdie ruled that Johnson, 25, was "incompetent but restorable to stand trial" and ordered a medical report on her status within 60 days. At the time, Johnson's attorneys fought the ruling, saying Johnson had serious mental-health issues.

"This is clearly a woman with a problem. She is not just being manipulative," defense attorney Marci Kratter said.

Also on Wednesday, Johnson's defense team informed the judge that their relationship with Johnson, "is broken" and asked to withdraw from the case.

"We are dealing with someone with serious mental-health problems," Kratter said. "She does not trust anyone, and we cannot work with her at this point."

Outside the courthouse, Kratter called the psychologist's findings laughable and said the standard for finding someone competent in Maricopa County is "ridiculously low."

Johnson, of Tempe, has been held without bond at Estrella Jail since January 2010. She has been charged with kidnapping, child abuse, custodial interference and conspiracy to commit custodial interference in connection with the disappearance of her son, Gabriel, who was 8 months old when he was last seen alive with Johnson in December 2009.

Johnson first said she smothered Gabriel and put him in the trash. She later recanted and said she gave the baby to a couple in San Antonio.

Johnson, who has missed several court hearings, appeared in court Wednesday. Dressed in black and white prison garb, she wore shackles and handcuffs. She appeared calm throughout the proceedings, smiling at times, but spent most of the day looking around the courtroom with no expression.

Johnson said little, nodding when McMurdie asked if she understood that her attorneys were withdrawing.

McMurdie set a status conference hearing for Tuesday, which likely means a public defender will be appointed to her case. Besides Kratter's team, two additional defense teams have asked to be dismissed.

Kratter said the next logical step would be for Johnson's new attorney to ask for an evidentiary hearing. During that hearing, the psychologist's findings could be refuted.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/2011/12/07/20111207baby-gabriel-mom-fit-stand-trial-expert-says.html#ixzz1fxH2kKg1

Baby Gabriel Johnson Trial Set For January 6th


(CBS/KPHO) PHOENIX
– The mother charged in the disappearance of her eight-month old son
was declared fit to stand trial Wednesday According to CBS affiliate
KPHO, Baby Gabriel Johnson was last seen Dec. 27, 2009. His mother, Elizabeth Johnson,
was charged with kidnapping, child abuse and custodial interference.
But in September, a judge ruled her incompetent to stand trial.

In May, Crimesider reported that Johnson allegedly put Gabriel in her car and drove to Texas from their home in Phoenix before he disappeared. However, her stories about what happened after he arrived were “all over the map.”

According
to KPHO, the judge announced Johnson’s trial would go forward after
reading the psychiatrist’s report saying that she was restored to
competency.

Immediately afterward, KPHO learned that Johnson’s legal team was withdrawing from the case, making them Johnson’s third legal team to quit.

She will be assigned a public defender. The trial date has been set for January 6.

www.kpho.com/story/.../mother-of-baby-gabriel-back-in-court

For two years this "fake nutcase" beeyotch has been dragging her heels and not telling the truth.
NO MORE DELAYS! Get her ass into the courtroom and throw the effing book at her and slam the door so loud I can hear it here. Asshat!

TomTerrific0420 wrote:For two years this "fake nutcase" beeyotch has been dragging her heels and not telling the truth.
NO MORE DELAYS! Get her ass into the courtroom and throw the effing book at her and slam the door so loud I can hear it here. Asshat!

Shades of Casey (AKA Baby Killer) Anthony

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Baby-Gabriel-age-progressed-composite-photo/ak2dHdUqIE2xU-xh1TZvvw.cspx

A new development in the case of missing Baby Gabriel. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released a composite of what Gabriel Johnson would look like today. The photo was age-progressed to two years.

Gabriel was abducted by his mother, Elizabeth Johnson, back in December of 2009. She first told Gabriel's father that she'd killed him and dumped his body. Johnson later told police she gave Gabriel to a couple at a park here in San Antonio. She was arrested days later for custodial interference in Florida.

If you have any information on where Baby Gabriel might be, please call police.

Case involving Gabriel Johnson back in court

Posted: Jan 06, 2012 5:18 PM CST

PHOENIX (KPHO) -
The case involving Elizabeth Johnson was back in court this morning.

The mother of missing Gabriel Johnson was assigned a new attorney and it turns out it's a familiar face.

Johnson's public defender, Vanessa Smith, is the same woman who was originally assigned to her two years ago.

After Smith was gone, Johnson eventually hired two sets of attorneys but both of them quit after Johnson refused to help in her defense.

Because of that, she's once again getting the public defender she first met.

Johnson did not appear in court today. The judge did stress he is anxious for this trial to move forward.

Johnson's next hearing is set for Feb. 3.


http://www.kpho.com/story/16465553/case-involving-missing-toddler-back-in-court

In another court maneuver and attempt to keep Elizabeth Johnson in check, a clinical liaison has been appointed to make sure the mother of missing “Baby Gabriel” stays on her medication so she remains competent to stand trial.

Yet, the beginning of that trial, which was supposed to start early last month, remains at least seven months away.

Johnson, who has been charged with kidnapping, child abuse, and custodial interference, is scheduled now to go to trial in September. Since her arrest in 2009, Johnson has remained incarcerated in a Maricopa County jail on a $1.1 million cash bond. In a case that has received national attention, Johnson has both said she killed her son and gave him to a couple she didn’t know in San Antonio.

The trial will provide Johnson, 25, the second time to answer questions as to what she did with Gabriel, who was 8 months old when she took him to San Antonio in late December 2009 while in the midst of a custody battle with Logan McQueary of Gilbert, Johnson’s estranged boyfriend and the father of the boy.

During a hearing in Maricopa County Family Court in 2010, Johnson did not answer questions the judge asked her as to what she did with her son and his whereabouts and state of well being. Instead, she invoked her 5th Amendment right not to answer.

The clinical liaison will monitor Johnson’s regimen of taking medication she is required to take as part of her competency stipulation, according to court records. Last September, Johnson was ruled incompetent to stand trial for the second time throughout the course of court proceedings, but in December, a psychiatrist ruled that she was fit to stand trial after she was mentally restored through counseling and medication. Johnson is believed to suffer from a bipolar condition, causing mood swings and inconsistency in her behavior, according to police reports and Johnson’s family members.

Tammi Smith, 39, of Scottsdale, the woman who was interested in adopting Gabriel and was charged with forgery, custodial interference and conspiracy to commit custodial interference in connection to the case, will be tried at the same time as Johnson. However, authorities have said that Smith is not connected to Gabriel’s disappearance.

If convicted of the charges, Johnson can face anywhere from nine months in jail to 20 years in prison.

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/cop_shop/article_927e6ef8-5f36-11e1-a7e9-001871e3ce6c.html

The mother of an Arizona baby missing for more than two years is set for a court appearance at 8:30 a.m. on Monday.

Twenty-five-year-old Elizabeth Johnson has
pleaded not guilty to charges of child abuse, kidnapping and custodial
interference in the case of her missing son, 8-month-old Gabriel.

Johnson has been jailed without bond since January 2010, a month after her son disappeared in Texas.

Johnson first said she smothered her Gabriel
and put him in the trash. She later recanted and said she gave the baby
to a couple in San Antonio, Texas.

The baby has never been found and police still don't know if he's dead or alive.

Johnson had been declared mentally unfit for trial but a psychologist said in December that she is now competent.
http://www.kpho.com/story/17459539/mom-of-az-baby-missing-since-09-to-be-in-court

It could be a very interesting week in the so-called "Baby Gabriel" case.
All of the key players in the national investigation are involved in significant events happening in the Valley this week.
Gabriel Johnson was last seen the day after Christmas in 2009.
His mom, Elizabeth Johnson , took the boy from Tempe to San Antonio where the boy vanished.
Elizabeth,
who currently faces charges including kidnapping and child abuse,
refuses to say what exactly happened to the boy or where he is.
While
Elizabeth sits in jail, a hearing has been scheduled for Monday morning
to address her lack of cooperation with court personnel.
Also Monday, Gabriel's father, Logan McQueary is expected to turn himself in to face charges of trafficking stolen goods.
McQueary,
known for pleading for the public's help in finding his son, hasn't
been as vocal or visible in the search for Gabriel lately.
McQueary suddenly moved from Arizona, but is expected to be back in the Valley to face the charges.
McQueary
already has a criminal record and is expected to testify in the case
against another person detectives have questioned in the disappearance
of the boy.
Opening statements are planned for Tuesday in the trial against Tammi Smith.
Smith
was a close friend of Elizabeth Johnson and is charged with conspiracy
to commit custodial interference and forgery. It was previously reported
that Smith wanted to adopt Gabriel.
According to detectives, tips and information regarding the search for Gabriel Johnson have dropped significantly.
Next month, Gabriel would turn 3 years old.


Read more: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/tempe/it-could-be-a-very-interesting-week-ahead-in-the-baby-gabriel-case-involving-the-key-players#ixzz1sDAJ0spb

PHOENIX (AP) — Jurors won't get to hear a statement by the mother of a missing Arizona baby in which authorities say she told a police detective that she killed the boy in Texas, a judge ruled Monday.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Paul McMurdie issued the ruling regarding the upcoming trial of Elizabeth Johnson, 25, saying her constitutional rights were violated when a San Antonio detective interviewed her in a Phoenix jail without her attorneys being there or even knowing about the interview.

"It was inappropriate, and I would go so far as to say an un-American-type of thing to do," Johnson's attorney, Marc Victor, told reporters after the hearing, which Johnson chose not to attend. "This is a real slap in the face of the Constitution and our justice system."

A San Antonio police spokesman did not return a call for comment about the ruling.

McMurdie declined a request by the lawyer to dismiss all the charges based on the constitutional violation.

Johnson has pleaded not guilty to child abuse, kidnapping and custodial interference in the case of her missing son, 8-month-old Gabriel.

Investigators said Johnson drove the boy to San Antonio from Tempe in December 2009, stayed about a week then took a bus to Florida without him. She was arrested Dec. 30 in Florida and returned to Arizona.

Gabriel has never been found, and police still don't know if he's dead or alive.

During an hourslong interview with San Antonio police Detective Jesse Salame in a Phoenix jail, Johnson said she killed Gabriel, authorities have said.

Victor said Salame used coercion to get Johnson to make the statement and that his tactics included getting her shackles removed, comforting her throughout the interview by patting her shoulder and leg, and saying that her defense attorneys weren't looking out for her and didn't have the same kind of power he did.

Victor also said Salame only recorded parts of the interview and at the time, Johnson was still viewed as mentally unfit. She has since been found competent to stand trial and assist in her own defense.

"This is the kind of thing you would expect to see in a Third-World country," Victor said. "This is not the kind of thing you would expect to see in the justice system in Arizona."

Johnson has provided conflicting stories about what happened to Gabriel. Police say she texted the boy's father that she killed Gabriel and put his body in a trash bin. She later recanted and said that she gave him to a couple in San Antonio.

Johnson's statement to the boy's father, Logan McQueary, could be used at her trial.

McQueary, who detectives do not suspect in the boy's disappearance, also was in court Monday in a separate case. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of theft and was sentenced to a year of probation.

Tammi Peters Smith, a north Scottsdale woman who had been seeking to adopt Gabriel from Johnson, is set to be in court Tuesday for opening statements in her trial on charges of felony forgery and conspiracy to commit custodial interference related to Gabriel.

http://www.chron.com/news/article/Statement-by-mom-of-missing-AZ-baby-can-t-be-used-3485719.php