DA: Plea agreement reached in 2021 murder case in exchange for avoiding trial

CHIPPEWA TWP. – Just before the case was set to go to trial, a plea agreement was made in the prosecution against a Beaver Falls man accused of murdering a Beaver County woman.

Beaver County District Attorney David Lozier said 69-year-old John Westley Johnson has pleaded guilty to the murder of 46-year-old Sharon Benyo in October 2021. The plea comes after Johnson was offered a plea agreement in which he would plead guilty to a charge of third-degree murder and receive the maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years in exchange for avoiding a month-long trial.

According to Lozier, Johnson approached prosecutors about the plea bargain for third-degree murder when jury selection was scheduled to begin. Benyo's family agreed to the new terms, requiring that Johnson explain to them and the court how the murder had happened while he was under oath. Johnson also told police officers where to find the firearm he had used in the murder.

Johnson was initially arrested on Oct. 9, 2021, after investigators discovered video footage of him driving Benyo to the murder scene in Chippewa Township on Oct. 4. After the estimated time of the crime, he was seen again leaving the scene without her in the car and returning to his home in Beaver Falls.

A witness also claims to have bought Johnson a gun, which he was prohibited from buying due to a previous felony charge in 1977. According to the investigation, a .380 caliber casing was found near Benyo's body.

At this time, a sentencing date has not been scheduled but is expected to occur within 60 days. At that time, Benyo's family will have the opportunity to once again speak on the impact that Johnson's crime had on them.

This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Plea agreement reached in 2021 Chippewa Township murder case