The Johnson Family Murders: Bloodshed in the Mill Village

The Johnson family murders rocked a former mill village more than 30 years ago. Who would kill them and why?

In the late 1880’s three textile mills were built on the banks of the Pacolet River in Spartanburg, South Carolina. These mills were located outside of the established town so mill owners built an entire village around the mills to house employees and their families. Mill villages were a common practice at the time and often followed a simple pattern, with workers housed in rows of identical single-family houses or, in some cases, duplexes, while higher-ranking managers lived in larger houses closer to the mills in the community centers. [¹https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/mill-villages/  Employment contracts were signed with entire families, including children, to ensure the mill had a steady supply of workers.

Clifton Mills 1, 2 and 3 were built between 1881 and 1895. All three mills and their accompanying village were destroyed in a flood in June 1903. Everything was rebuilt by 1907. The mills were in steady operation until the early 1990’s. The village is still there today. The mills have all been torn down and a large park put in their place on the banks of the Pacolet River.

The Johnson Family

Mary Hembree Johnson and Thomas Johnson both retired from Clifton Mill #2. They resided in the mill village and lived there for over 35 years. They had four sons. Their oldest son Charles died just before his first birthday. They lost another son, Edwin in 1976 at age 22 in a car accident. David, the second oldest son lived with his parents. Keith, the youngest lived close by. David was reported to have an undisclosed illness that prevented him from working, living alone, or driving.

 in January of 1993, 81 year-old Thomas had recently spent time in a nursing home and had ongoing health problems. Mary, who suffered from emphysema brought him back home to live and lovingly cared for her son and husband. Mary was described as “one of the most Godly women I’ve ever known,” by Rev. David Moore, longtime pastor of the Johnson’s church, Clifton Second Baptist. “They never bothered anyone. They were too old to bother anyone. They were just good people,” Ken Coggins told the Herald-Journal in 1993.

The Day it Happened

Most Saturdays 77 year-old Mary would visit the local hair salon where her friend Mattie Thornton and daughter-in-law Elizabeth worked. It was those two women who realized something was wrong on the morning of Saturday January 9th 1993. Mary hadn’t shown up for her usual appointment nor had she called Friday like she normally did. Ms. Thornton called the Johnson house several times but was unable to get anyone on the phone.

Around 6:30pm that evening Mattie and Elizabeth went over to the Johnson residence to check on the family. The doors were locked and no one answered their repeated knocks. Elizabeth went back home to get her spare key. Soon after the women entered the home, they discovered the bodies of the Johnson family. All three victims – Thomas, Mary and David were found on the bed in the first floor bedroom. They had each been stabbed to death. “When I saw her glasses lying on the floor, I knew something was wrong.” Mrs. Thornton told The Greenville News of the gruesome discovery.

A Violent Altercation

A later autopsy would show that they each had been beaten, suffered broken ribs, and were killed by multiple stab wounds. Authorities believe the family was killed late Friday night into early Saturday morning. It has never been released, how many times they were stabbed or what the murder weapon was, whether the perpetrator brought it with them to the scene or if it was an item from the home. Chief investigator with the Coroner’s Office Richard Seay, did say, “They all died within a short period of time of each other.”

Blood stains were found in the kitchen, in the living room around the telephone and on a chair. It’s unclear if the Johnson’s phone records were ever reviewed. There were signs of a struggle in the home, but no signs of forced entry. It is unclear how the perpetrator(s) gained access to the home.   

The only piece of evidence authorities had was a Detroit Pistons hat found in the bedroom of the residence. Family members confirmed that no one in the Johnson family owned the hat. The well-worn hat was reported to be dark blue or black with orange lettering. It is unclear if this hat was saved for future DNA testing.

A Community Afraid

The community was thrown into a panic. Neighbor Dorothy Womick who had lived in the neighborhood for about as long as the Johnsons told The State “I’ve lived up here for years and always felt safe, but I don’t anymore. It never entered my mind of somebody hurting somebody on Cedar Street.”  One young couple left their home for several days after the murders, choosing to stay with family in fear of the murderer striking again. Several neighbors spoke of making sure their doors were locked and a few had streetlights installed.

There was always that question in our mind of is it somebody that we know, is it somebody we talked to today, is it somebody we talked to last week? And there was always that mistrust of everybody.

Tammy Dimsdale, great niece of Thomas and Mary Johnson

Local Rumors Abound

Contemporaneous newspaper articles say that neighbors and church friends speculated that David had killed his parents and then himself. Investigators cleared up those rumors the day after the discovery of the bodies telling the Herald-Journal that they “believe David and his parents were murdered.”

“If David had done it, it really would not have been surprising to us. Now I have no idea what the motive would have been. They didn’t have anything. I guess they drew their checks. “I want them (investigators) hot on the trail. Each minute that passes, the trail gets cold. I want them to hurry up and get something done” neighbor Kathy Daniel in 1993 to the Herald-Journal.

“When I heard about it, I just figured it was David,” Kenny Coggins, minister of music at the Johnson’s church said days after the murders. “I had the feeling because he had become so mixed up” he went on to say. “I guess it shocked a lot of people when his nerves got bad and we saw such a drastic change in his personality,” said Coleen Ponder, a neighbor of the family. 43 year-old David, who was a high-school football hero, had a difficult time after his brother’s death in 1976. It was reported that his once outgoing and friendly personality changed radically. It has never been clearly stated what type of behavior David exhibited, whether it was depression, grief or something else. None of the newspaper articles stated he had ever been violent in any way.

An intruder went in- absolutely killed them. Didn’t kick the door down, didn’t break things. So, it tells me that they knew whoever it was.

Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright in 2022

The Investigation Hits Close to Home

The only surviving member of the Johnson family, Keith and his wife Elizabeth were interviewed at length by police. “They won’t tell us nothing. I think the sheriff’s department let the trail get very cold messing with us. I don’t have a bit of faith in them. But who knows, maybe in time they’ll solve it.” Elizabeth Johnson told Herald-Journal in April 1993

Then-sheriff Bill Coffey confirmed that the remaining members of the Johnson Family were interviewed and said that there were things he was unable to share with both the family and the media. “But there are just things we cannot discuss … to maintain the integrity of the case,” he told the Herald-Journal.

In 1994 a reward of $50,000 was announced. These funds came from asset forfeitures awarded to the sheriff’s department. The reward was a part of a call for information on more than two dozen unsolved homicide cases. The money was only available for thirty days, and it’s unclear if any of the money was ever claimed. The Johnson family murders case continued to get colder.

In April 1995, 79 year-old Clyde Camby and 73 year-old Etta Osteen were found shot to death in a home in Pacolet, which is about 10 miles away from Clifton. Locals feared a serial killer was on the loose targeting the elderly. However, these theories were thankfully unfounded. The 19 year-old great-nephew of Ms. Osteen was charged with the double murder in 1997.

Renewed Hope in the Johnson Family Murders

In January 2022 a press conference was held regarding the Johnson family murders. A new reward and call for information were announced. A billboard advertising the reward was placed on East Main St. in Spartanburg. Sheriff Chuck Wright said that evidence is being examined by South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (S.L.E.D) that will hopefully lead to new leads in the case. “We have new technology now that will get through all of the what if’s and should-have, could’ve would-haves,” Sheriff Wright said to WSPA.

No suspects or persons of interest have ever been named in this case. If you have any information in the Johnson Family murders please contact Diane Lestage at 864-503-4556 or email her at dlestage@spartanburgcounty.org.. The Johnson family is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the prosecution of the person or persons responsible for these murders.

“I certainly believe there are some witnesses in the community and it’s still possible that the killer or killers are walking around right here,” Sheriff Wright to WSPA in January 2022.