Calah D. Johnson, 35, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of a woman shot while driving her family home from Starlight Theatre on July 17, 2009.
For years, police weren’t sure who murdered 45-year-old Deanna Lieber, the top attorney for the Kansas Department of Education. Lieber’s daughter, then 13, and mother-in-law were also in the car, which was traveling south on U.S. 71 near 59th Street when a stray bullet struck Lieber. The family was headed home to Lawrence.
Johnson was indicted in 2013 while serving time in federal prison for drug trafficking. Police used footage from a red light camera to track down the owner of the car involved in the shooting, who said she’d loaned it to Johnson.
Johnson’s case was scheduled to go to trial Monday when he decided to plead guilty. Prosecutors agreed to the plea after consulting with family members.
Elle Moxley is a reporter for KCUR. You can reach her on Twitter @ellemoxley.
