Gabriel Johnson -- Missing 12/26/09

Woman who wanted to adopt Baby Gabriel due in court, second phase of Texas landill search to begin

by Catherine Holland and The Associated Press
Posted on February 18, 2010 at 7:16 AM

PHOENIX -- The Scottsdale woman who wanted to adopt Baby Gabriel, the Tempe baby who has missing since just after Christmas, is due in court today.

Tammi Smith, who was indicted earlier this month, will hear charges of forgery, custodial interference and conspiracy to commit custodial interference.

Smith is accused of withholding information from police and providing false information on paternity documents which inaccurately listed Smith's cousin as Gabriel's father, the report said.

In the meantime, the search for Gabriel Johnson moves into its next phase.

Texas landfill dig reaches target level

SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio police say crews searching a local landfill for clues to the fate of a missing Arizona baby have reached the target level of their dig.

A Wednesday statement from San Antonio Police Chief William McManus says crews had only to reach a 30-foot depth of an expected 45-foot depth in the Tess man Road Landfill.

McManus says a meticulous second phase of the landfill search will begin Thursday. However, he says the hope remains that the 8-month-old will be found alive.

Searchers are looking for a specific item -- a diaper bag.

Baby Gabriel was last seen with his mother, Elizabeth Johnson, shortly after Christmas at a San Antonio hotel. The diaper bag was the only thing missing from the room when police searched it.

Johnson was later arrested alone in Florida and then extradited to Arizona. She remains behind bars on charges of kidnapping, child abuse and custodial interference. She told the boy's father she killed Gabriel and dumped him in the trash -- a story she later recanted.

Earlier this month, San Antonio reclassified the Baby Case as a homicide investigation. That procedural step is what allowed them to launch the search of the landfill.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/second-phase-of-Texas-landill-search-to-begin-84694437.html

Mother of missing Tempe baby refuses to go to court

by Jake A. Harris - Mar. 9, 2010 10:52 AM
The Arizona Republic

Elizabeth Johnson, the mother of missing baby Gabriel, refused to leave her jail cell for a court hearing Tuesday morning, prompting a Superior Court judge to demand authorities "use any means necessary to get her to court."

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Timothy Ryan continued the pre-trial conference hearing to March 17, saying that Elizabeth Johnson needed to be present and called on Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies to ensure Johnson makes the appearance, said Karen Arra, a court spokeswoman.

Johnson's defense attorney refused to comment on the case.

Johnson, the Tempe mother of missing Gabriel Johnson, is at the center of the high-profile missing baby case. She left the state amid a custody battle with the boy's father last December and was last seen with the child in San Antonio. Gabriel was 8 months old when he disappeared.

Originally, Johnson told Gabriel's father that she had killed the baby and disposed of the body in the trash but later recanted, saying she gave the baby to an unidentified couple in a San Antonio park.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/03/09/20100309elizabeth-johnson-misses-court-abrk0209.html

this "momster" just makes me

Sometimes I think this girl is WORSE than even kc - because she won't talk at all - what she did was so vengeful towards her ex - i just can't imagine why she would either give her child away or kill the baby - either one is just horrible. Let's hope that she gave him away - but I would have imagined that BY NOW someone would come forward to say that there is a couple out there that has a baby that isn't theirs...

Here's hoping...

Didn't KC pull the same stunt and the judge ordered the guards to go back and get her? I'm afraid I think this woman murdered her baby out of spite, just as she said. But I'm also hoping he's alive and well somewhere.

If she's not worse than Casey, she's close to it. Her text to Gabriel's father is pure evil. Even if she sold Gabriel instead of killing him, that doesn't make her any better. Here is her text in case you missed it.

You will never see Gabriel again. I made sure of that. And you can spend the rest of of your pathetic life wondering about him. You will never find me. I'm already boarding a plane out of the country. When I'm safe, I'll email you the exact location of dead Gabriel's little blue body, if the garbage don't come first. This is what liars like you deserve.

Yes, those are chilling words to read...pure evil. I'd say she's right up there with KC. I'd go as far to say KC had similar words directed towards Cindy going on in her head as she wrapped the duct tape around Caylee's face and head.

I sure wish that he could be found...dead or alive...I'm hoping and praying that he is alive and the people that have him are just scared to admit that they have him....Maybe they went to Mexico...

Police call off search for Baby Gabriel

Web Posted: 03/12/2010 2:34 CST
By Vianna Davila - Express-News

Nearly three months after he went missing, San Antonio police called off the landfill search for the remains of baby Gabriel Johnson after finding no evidence of foul play, Police Chief William McManus said Friday afternoon.

“The good news is, we have no homicide at this point,” McManus said at a news conference. “The bad news is the case remains open.”

Law enforcement authorities, with the help of countless volunteers, searched through 4,260 tons of trash and debris over 16 days at the Tessman Road Landfill.

But since the excavation began Feb. 9 authorities “found no evidence of a homicide,” or anything related to 8-month-old Baby Gabriel, the chief said.

At this point, McManus said it is unclear if Gabriel is alive or dead — mainly because the baby's mother, Elizabeth Johnson, refuses to cooperate with authorities.

The landfill area was targeted because authorities believed debris at the dump site may have come from a trash bin at the HomeGate Studios and Suites on San Pedro Avenue where Johnson had stayed.

Gabriel was last seen with Johnson at the hotel Dec. 26, after the young mother arrived here from Arizona. Gabriel's father, Logan McQueary, has said Johnson texted him the following day that she had killed her baby and later told him she put the baby in a diaper bag and threw it in the trash.

Johnson then went to Florida, where she was arrested Dec. 30 on kidnapping, child abuse and custodial interference charges. She has since been extradited back to Arizona, where she remains in custody.

Authorities have contacted McQueary to notify him of the search's end.

At the news conference, McManus also thanked the countless volunteer and community partners who helped with the search. Although police spokeswoman Sandy Gutierrez said the help meant the search was done at “virtually no cost to the taxpayers,” she didn't provide how much the city spent on the effort.

The case, which will remain active, is now being handled by the SAPD Missing Persons Unit, McManus said. The homicide unit will continue to investigate any information that indicates foul play in the case.

McManus said department officials plan to meet to plot their next steps in the investigation.

“But we will pursue this with the same vigor that we started the investigation,” McManus said.

Anyone with information about the case should call (800) THE-LOST (843-5678).

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/Police_call_off_search_for_Baby_Gabriel.html

Missing Baby Gabriel's father moving to San Antonio

Last Update: 7:31 am 03/15/2010

PHOENIX (AP) — The father of a missing Arizona baby says he plans to move to San Antonio, Texas, later this month to continue the search for his son.

Logan McQueary made the announcement Saturday night during a fundraiser.

It was the first time he'd spoken publicly since police in San Antonio called off a landfill search after finding no evidence in Gabriel's disappearance.

McQueary says he already has a job and an apartment in San Antonio.

He's spent the last several months hunting for Gabriel. He believes the baby is alive and may have been illicitly adopted.

Gabriel was last seen with his 23-year-old mother, Elizabeth Johnson, in San Antonio on Dec. 26.

The Arizona woman is jailed on kidnapping, child abuse and custodial interference charges.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Missing-Baby-Gabriels-father-moving-to-San-Antonio/jLib4xw8o0CcRFRih4cDIA.cspx?rss=68

That's an interesting development...

I am glad he's taking more of an initiative to find baby Gabriel - I have to say that at first I really thought he didn't care. I wish him the best and hope that he can aid in some capacity.

Baby Gabriel's mom takes the Fifth

KTAR Newsroom
March 26th, 2010 @ 1:38pm



PHOENIX -- The mother of a missing Valley boy appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court Friday, but refused to talk about the child or his whereabouts.

Elizabeth Johnson, 23, invoked her Fifth Amendment rights against self incrimination when Craig Mehrens, an attorney for her missing son's father, started asking questions.

Judge Michael McVey granted sole custody of the boy, Gabriel Johnson, to his father, Logan McQueary.

Gabriel, who will turn 1 on May 3, vanished in December after his mother allegedly took him from the Valley during a custody fight with McQueary. The mother and son were last seen together Dec. 26 at a motel in San Antonio, Texas.

Elizabeth Johnson was arrested in Florida a few days later and returned to Arizona to face charges. She has told conflicting stories of what happened to Gabriel -- at one time saying she had killed him and at other times saying she had given him away.

Friday's court appearance came two weeks after Elizabeth Johnson refused to leave her jail cell and appear in court. She has been indicted on charges of kidnapping, child abuse and custodial interference.

McVey set an April 28 hearing on Mehrens' request that Johnson be held in contempt for violating an earlier ruling that gave McQueary visitation rights with Gabriel.

http://www.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=1278208

Father awarded custody of missing Baby Gabriel

Last Update: 6:02 am March 29, 2010

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge awarded custody of a still-missing Arizona baby to the boy's father on Friday.

Logan McQueary will take custody of Gabriel Johnson if the baby is ever found.

The child's mother, Elizabeth Johnson, has refused to answer any questions from a Maricopa County Superior Court judge or McQueary's attorney about where Gabriel is.

The baby will turn 1 on May 3, but Johnson has refused to say if the child is alive or where he is.

While engaged in a custody battle with McQueary, Johnson disappeared with the child. The two were last seen together in December in San Antonio. Earlier this month, authorities gave up their search for a body in a San Antonio landfill.

The 23-year-old Johnson has been indicted on charges of kidnapping, child abuse, conspiracy to commit custodial interference and custodial interference.

http://www.woai.com/news/state/story/Father-awarded-custody-of-missing-Baby-Gabriel/3edo7AJLw0eakQSScxnE0w.cspx?rss=69

Maybe they should charge her with murder, even without a body. If she did give/sell him to someone else, they may bring him forward. Even if no one does bring him in, she should still be charged with murder, as she probably DID kill him.

sitemama wrote:Maybe they should charge her with murder, even without a body. If she did give/sell him to someone else, they may bring him forward. Even if no one does bring him in, she should still be charged with murder, as she probably DID kill him.

I am with you 100%, sitemama!

Private Investigator Breaks Silence in Baby Gabriel Case

March 31, 2010





Ken Gamble believes Gabriel's mother, Elizabeth Johnson, did not hurt her baby, but rather brought him to a San Antonio, Texas park as she was told to do.

New information is coming out in the search for a baby missing since December: the family's private investigator breaks his silence.

Ken Gamble is the private investigator hired by Gabriel Johnson's father, Logan McQueary. Gamble believes Gabriel's mother, Elizabeth Johnson, did not hurt her baby, but rather brought him to a San Antonio, Texas park as she was told to do.

"We have been able to confirm through the investigation so far that this is the park where Elizabeth handed the baby to a couple." said Gamble.

"That information is supported by her own handwritten notes in her journal. She wrote down directions to the park...she arrived..the couple was already sitting in the park so we now know they were sitting at one of those tables..they immediately got up and they greeted her. They said something to her which we are not revealing at this point to identify themselves."

Gamble is asking anyone in San Antonio who saw the meeting to come forward. He says he's confident the mystery couple will be found.

http://www.kfyi.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=118695&article=6939134

I certainly hope this is the case and she didn't kill that precious baby.

Missing Baby's Mom Goes on Hunger Strike

Updated: Monday, 12 Apr 2010, 7:17 PM MDT
Published : Monday, 12 Apr 2010, 7:16 PM MDT



PHOENIX - 23-year-old Elizabeth Johnson, the woman imprisoned for kidnapping her son Gabriel and refusing to tell police where he is, has gone on a hunger strike and written a will to prepare for her death.

Following the submission of her will, Johnson was placed in the jail's psychiatric unit for evaluation.

About two weeks ago, jailers placed Johnson on the Sheriff's nutra-loaf system after she allegedly attacked two other inmates.

The loaf consists of nonfat dry milk powder, an assortment of fruits and vegetables, chili powder, and bread dough all compacted into one solid brick-like loaf.

The nutra-loaf system aims to deter inmates from misbehaving or assaulting others. They are served the nutra-loaf in isolation, instead of a sack lunch in the morning and a hot meal in the evening.

The diet, sometimes called "bread and water," has raised controversy like many of the Sheriff's initiatives. Just last week, claims that the nutra-loaf was unconstitutional punishment were dismissed.

Johnson is apparently refusing to eat the nutra-loaf, saying it's "rotten food with worms in it," and has gone on a hunger strike. Read her will below, transcribed from her own handwriting.

Gabriel Johnson was 8 months old when he went missing in December. Johnson told her ex-boyfriend Logan McQueary she killed Gabriel and left his body in a dumpster, but told police she gave the child to an unknown couple at a San Antonio park. A search of a San Antonio landfill proved fruitless.

Read Elizabeth Johnson's will :

My Advanced Directive & Will (dated 4/9/2010)

I am writing my advanced directive and will because I am incarcerated in Estrella jail and they are starving me and serving rotten food with worms in it. I haven't eaten in over 7 days and barely can write this. The water… makes us sick. I feel they will let me starve to death rather than feeding me safe, edible food. I don't want an autopsy, I do not wish to donate any organs/body parts. That is against my religion. I wish my grandmother be contacted [phone number] only. I wish to be cremated right away, put in a box not an urn and brought to mass to be buried above my mother's grave. I know my grandmother Sylvia [last name] will arrange this for me. White lilies for me is all. I don't think I'll have time to have my lawyer notarize this because I am starving and so weak and dehydrated so I will put a tank order in for a notary. I love you Marzzy. I am sorry be happy for us.
Sincerely, Elizabeth Johnson

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/local/elizabeth-johnson-hunger-strike-4-12-2010

Ok, I don't even know where to start with this...

Stubborn remorseless biotch...they should put her in with Casey. They are two of a kind.

What a load of crap.

Poor Elizabeth.

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May she soon be with the worms.