Attorneys hope box of evidence from 1988 Bedford murder may free prisoner

Dec. 27—A box containing evidence in a 1988 Bedford murder case has been found, and lawyers for the man convicted of the crime hope it will be enough to prove his innocence.

Jason E. Carroll, 53, was found guilty in 1992 of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the killing of Sharon Johnson of Bow. Johnson, 36, was found stabbed and strangled at a construction site in Bedford. She was seven months pregnant.

Carroll argues his conviction was based on a false confession and has maintained his innocence, and lawyers at the New England Innocence Project have also challenged his conviction.

Court records show a motion to continue a hearing on his legal team's motion for post-conviction DNA testing of biological material was approved after the state reported on Dec. 14 that an "additional box of physical evidence" had been located.

The box was located inside the former headquarters of the state's Department of Justice, which is in the process of being torn down.

The hearing also involves audio and visual evidence previously in the state's possession which has been digitized, a lengthy process that wasn't completed until Dec. 12.

"The petitioner will need additional time to consider the evidence found by the state and the digital evidence, both of which are still outstanding," court documents state.

Judge William Delker has ordered the Attorney General's Office to conduct an inventory of al evidence in the case.

Johnson, a Goffstown native, lived in Bow at the time of her death. She worked at Digital Equipment Corp. in Amherst as an engineer.

It wasn't until more than a year after her death that police announced three men had been charged in the crime. Police accused Johnson's husband, Kenneth Johnson, of paying Carroll and a third man, Tony Pfaff, to help murder his wife.

Prosecutors alleged Carroll and Pfaff, both 18 at the time of the murder, met Sharon Johnson in Manchester and had her drive them to Bedford, where they stabbed her as Ken Johnson watched.

Both Carroll and Pfaff confessed to the murder to police, then recanted their statements, saying they lied and were coerced by investigators.

Pfaff was acquitted, and prosecutors dropped the charges against Ken Johnson for lack of evidence when Pfaff and Carroll refused to testify against him.

Only Carroll was convicted, receiving a sentence of 46 years to life in state prison.

A judge declined to grant Carroll early parole last year. He will be eligible for release in 2029.