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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Teen who killed parents alleges rape

Rebecca Boone Associated Press

BOISE – Detectives are investigating a claim that a teen convicted of killing her parents was raped by a jail trusty while awaiting trial in the Blaine County Jail.

Sarah Johnson was sentenced in June to two life terms plus 15 years for the rifle slaying of her parents, Alan and Diane Johnson, in their Bellevue home on Sept. 3, 2003.

Johnson’s defense attorneys maintain that in 2004, when she was 17, she was emotionally and psychologically manipulated and then raped in the Hailey jail by a 30-something Idaho State Prison inmate who was working as a jail trusty on a work-release program. Idaho’s statutory rape law protects minors from sex with adults, even when the act is consensual.

A team of 12 investigators from the Tri-County Sheriff’s Association and the Magic Valley Critical Incident Task Force began looking into the allegations in mid-June at the request of Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling, said Bannock County Det. Andy Thomas, who is heading up the team.

“We’ve had a lot of investigators brought in because there’s been such a time span and there are a lot of people to talk to,” Thomas said. “Hopefully we’ll be wrapping up soon.”

He said he couldn’t release any details about the investigation, which will be reviewed by a special prosecutor once it is completed.

But Thomas did say that in general, jail trusties are low-risk prison inmates brought in to work at local jails. Trusties’ access to jail inmates varies from county to county, but one-on-one access is not uncommon.

Femling could not immediately be reached by the Associated Press, and Blaine County Chief Deputy Gene Ramsey said he could not comment on county policy.

Lt. Greg Sage, the Blaine County Jail administrator, said he first heard rumors from another inmate that Johnson and a trusty were sexually involved in January 2005, but an initial investigation turned up no evidence. Other inmates said Johnson and the trusty merely talked while they were in separate areas, Sage said.

During that first investigation, Johnson was in the Ada County jail and Sage said investigators decided they did not need to ask her about the rumors.

“We didn’t figure that we needed to at that time,” Sage said. “We felt (a sexual encounter) was physically impossible.”

All cells are monitored by camera 24 hours a day, he said, and inmates are only released from their cells for a daily hour of outdoor exercise, supervised by a deputy.

The issue came up again when Johnson revealed the incident to a pre-sentence investigator in June, Sage said.

Attorney Bob Pangburn said Johnson’s defense team decided the matter was one best brought up after trial.

“We didn’t want the authorities to try to use it against her in some way,” Pangburn said. “The whole subject matter is very embarrassing to a teenage girl.”

Pangburn said Johnson has not filed any lawsuits or claims over the alleged assault. After her arrest, Pangburn fought to have Johnson housed separately from adult inmates. Femling said it was necessary to house her with the adult population because of space constraints in the crowded jail.

The trusty under investigation is no longer working at the jail, Sage said. Authorities would not release his name.