MAN INDICTED FOR MURDER OF GIRLFRIEND AT HOMELESS CAMP IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS

Posted on 4/29/2016

Defendant: Danny Lee Johnson

Prosecutor Ron O’Brien announced today that the Franklin County Grand Jury has returned an indictment against Danny Lee Johnson, age 34, for two counts of Murder (unclassified felonies), one count of Tampering with Evidence (F-3), and one count of Domestic Violence (F-3), for a total of four counts, in connection to the April 19, 2016 death of his girlfriend Cathleen Howatt, age 46.  The murder occurred in the early morning hours in her tent at a homeless camp south of downtown Columbus where W. Mound and Short streets intersect near the Scioto River.  The defendant was arrested later that day in Reynoldsburg.  “If convicted, Johnson faces the possibility of serving a sentence of 18 years to life”, O’Brien stated.  Johnson will be arraigned on Monday, May 2nd at 1:30 pm in courtroom 2B at 345 S. High Street.