Parole denied to Joe Johnson III, convicted in 1993 Topeka killing of Amanda Gardner, 16
Parole has been denied to Joe Johnson III, one of three people convicted in the 1993 Topeka killing of 16-year-old Amanda "Mandy" Gardner.
Johnson a 49-year-old inmate at Hutchinson Correctional Facility, has been passed for parole consideration for three years and will next be eligible effective Oct. 1, 2026, according to the website of the Kansas Department of Corrections.
Relatives and friends of Gardner had asked the Kansas Prisoner Review Board to deny parole to Johnson and two other people convicted in her murder.
"We were pleased the Prisoner Review Board denied Joe Johnson parole and are so grateful for our family and friends that spoke at the hearing and wrote in opposition to his release," said Renee Gardner, Amanda Gardner's sister. "All three of the criminals involved in the kidnapping and murder should serve true life sentences. After all, Mandy served the ultimate life sentence."
What were the circumstances of Amanda Gardner's death?
Amanda Gardner attended Highland Park High School and worked at the McDonald's Restaurant at Walmart's Hypermart USA on S.W. Wanamaker Road. Her co-workers included Donise Johnson, then 20, who had recently moved to Topeka from Camden, N.J.
Donise Johnson and her brother, Joe Johnson III, then 19, wanted to return to Camden. Donise Johnson's boyfriend — Jerry High, then 17 — also wanted to go.
On April 25, 1993, Gardner agreed to give the group a ride to the local bus station in her red 1990 Ford Probe, which was equipped with a cell phone and a high-quality stereo system.
Instead, they abducted her, beat her about the head and strangled her to death using a purse strap near the Johnsons' home in the 5500 block of S.W. Huntoon.
High and the Johnsons left Gardner's body in a wooded area near what was then Kaw Area Technical School, 5724 S.W. Huntoon.
What happened to Amanda Gardner's killers?
Gardner's killers then went in her car to Camden, N.J., where they were arrested after the car was involved in a hit-and-run crash.
High, Donise Johnson and Joe Johnson III were convicted as adults of first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping, and received prison sentences that left them ineligible for parole for 30 years.
A fellow defendant, Christopher Johnson, then 17, was arrested in Topeka and pleaded guilty as a juvenile to conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. He spent four years in the state youth center.
Donise Johnson, 50 and an inmate at Topeka Correctional Facility, first became parole-eligible in April. The prisoner review board denied her parole and decided not to consider her again for two years.
High, 48 and an inmate at El Dorado Correctional Facility, is being considered for parole and could be released at the earliest on Dec. 28 if parole is granted, the corrections department website said.
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Parole denied to Joe Johnson III, convicted in 1993 Topeka homicide
