Criminology Podcast – "Lucille Johnson" (Ep. 351) Detailed Summary

Release Date: March 23, 2025
Hosts: Mike Ferguson & Mike Morford
Case: The 1991 murder of Lucille Johnson in Holladay, Utah, and its disturbing ties to other crimes committed by John Sansing

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mike Ferguson and Mike Morford present a deep-dive into the brutal 1991 murder of Lucille Johnson, a beloved 78-year-old mother and grandmother from Holladay, Utah. The case would remain unsolved for more than two decades, haunted by a puzzling scene involving children’s Legos—the so-called “Lego Murder”—until advances in DNA technology revealed a shocking connection to a career criminal already on death row. The episode traces Johnson’s life, details of the crime, the cold case investigation, and how her killer’s pattern of violence devastated multiple families.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Was Lucille Johnson? (04:20 – 08:23)

• Lucille Johnson, age 78, was described as a loving, active, and selfless community member and recently widowed (husband passed in 1989).
• She remained involved in local organizations (president of a broadcasting company, real estate group, Relief Society secretary) and maintained a close-knit network in Holladay, Utah—a safe, low-crime area.
• She was known for tirelessly helping neighbors, particularly the sick and elderly.
• Quote:
  “She was happier being the person that spent her day helping others.” – Mike Ferguson (05:28)

2. The Day of the Murder & Crime Scene (08:23 – 15:38)

• Feb 1, 1991: Lucille had car trouble, accepted a ride home from a dealership employee, then was last seen sweeping her porch that afternoon.
• Concern grew when she stopped answering calls, but her active lifestyle meant she was often out—so no initial alarm.
• The next day, daughter Shirley found Lucille brutalized:
  • Bludgeoned, strangled, chest stomped (boot print), pillow over her face
  • Extensive injury: fractured skull, every rib broken
  • Items missing, but wallet untouched; jewelry (rings, necklace) gone
  • Notable Scene:
    Pile of Legos in the living room and scattered throughout entry and driveway—especially odd as Lucille was meticulous about tidiness.
• Quote:
  “It seemed as if Lucille’s killer didn’t attack her out of necessity…she had suffered several injuries, and more than one of those injuries would have been fatal on their own.” – Mike Ferguson (09:39)
• Notable Moment:
  “She raced over to the phone to call police, knowing that what she had found wasn’t the result of a medical emergency, but rather a murder.” – Mike Morford (09:05)

3. Investigation & Cold Case Frustrations (15:38 – 17:44)

• No forced entry; suspicion briefly fell on family, but soon ruled out.
• Complete lack of suspects—everyone described Lucille as kind and community-minded.
• The Legos (“Lego Murder”) seemed both out of place and potentially significant, though not a weapon.
• Reflective Insight:
  “If most of her peers are up there in age, it’s less likely that one of them would be capable physically of doing something like this.” – Mike Morford (17:17)

4. The Breakthrough: DNA and Fingerprints (17:44 – 25:25)

• Case revived in 2013 using modern forensic technology; DNA found under Lucille’s fingernails matched John Sansing, then 46 and on death row in Arizona.
• No known connection—until investigators discovered Sansing had lived near Lucille in Salt Lake City in 1991, and had worked at the dealership, giving her a ride home the day of the murder.
• Key Moment:
  Discovery that the child's fingerprints on the Legos matched Sansing’s 5-year-old son, placing him and his father at the scene.
• Quote:
  "It also proves that Sansing’s son was actually there inside the home when it happened. This was the key to getting into Lucille’s home." – Mike Ferguson (24:16)
• Investigators theorize Lucille let them in, trusting Sansing and his child.

5. John Sansing’s Criminal Trajectory (25:25 – 29:30)

• Sansing had a juvenile and adult record for theft, drug addiction, and spousal abuse.
• Continued violent crimes after Lucille’s murder, moving to Arizona and escalating his offenses.
• Insight:
  “If they would have looked at him at all, they would have found out that he already had, you know, quite a lengthy record. He would have jumped up a few notches on police radar.” – Mike Ferguson (27:53)

6. The Murder of Trudy Calabresi (29:30 – 44:18)

• Feb 24, 1998: Sansing, deep into crack cocaine addiction with wife Kara, lured church volunteer Trudy Calabresi to his Arizona home under the guise of needing food for his family.
• Trudy was ambushed, tied, beaten, sexually assaulted, stabbed, and suffocated while the Sansing children were in the home.
• Jewelry stolen and traded for drugs.
• Parallel to Lucille's murder, Trudy was also a Good Samaritan targeted because of her generosity.
• Quote:
  “According to the Sansing's...John warned Trudy to cooperate, saying, ‘Make a move, I'll hit you in the head.’ Trudy defiantly yelled: ‘I don't want to die, but if this is the way you want me to come home, I'm ready.’” – Mike Ferguson (35:04)
• Reflection:
  “I look at the children in this case as victims, too.” – Mike Morford (38:28)

7. Uncovering the Pattern & Impact on Families (44:18 – 52:26)

• Kara Sansing confirmed John’s confession to Lucille’s murder and was also complicit.
• Both their children were present for two homicides.
• Lucille’s family felt relief the killer wasn’t someone they knew, but closure remained elusive.
  • Quote:
    “I don’t think closure is the right word because you never close something like this.” – Lucille’s daughter Shirley England, via ABC News (50:45)

8. Justice, Prosecution & Lingering Questions (52:26 – 55:35)

• John Sansing prosecuted and sentenced to death for Trudy’s murder; court acknowledged premeditation and extraordinarily cruel, depraved acts.
• The prosecution may not have occurred in Lucille’s case, given his current death row status, but officers and family pushed for formal justice.
• Two other Utah cold cases (Bertha L. Hughes, 1982; Jean Muir, 1985) discussed as possible related attacks due to similarities—yet, connections were not formally established.

9. The Tragedy of Trust (55:35 – 59:10)

• Both Lucille and Trudy were targeted because they trusted and sought to help others.
• Lucille may have let in Sansing’s whole family, seeing them as no threat.
• Trudy walked into a house of chaos and violence while serving others in her community.
• The episode emphasizes the chilling ease with which predators exploit kindness and the residual trauma, especially on children forced to witness or be present during violent crimes.

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “She raced over to the phone to call police, knowing that what she had found wasn’t the result of a medical emergency, but rather a murder.”
  — Mike Morford (09:05)
• “If most of her peers are up there in age, it’s less likely that one of them would be capable physically of doing something like this.”
  — Mike Morford (17:17)
• “It also proves that Sansing’s son was actually there inside the home when it happened. This was the key to getting into Lucille’s home.”
  — Mike Ferguson (24:16)
• "According to the Sansing's...John warned Trudy to cooperate, saying, ‘Make a move, I'll hit you in the head.’ Trudy defiantly yelled: ‘I don't want to die, but if this is the way you want me to come home, I'm ready.’”
  — Mike Ferguson (35:04)
• “I look at the children in this case as victims, too. To have to see all this stuff and be part of this. It makes me sad that they had to live in these conditions with those parents.”
  — Mike Morford (38:28)
• “I don’t think closure is the right word because you never close something like this. It’s been a terrible thing in our life.”
  — Shirley England, Lucille’s daughter (50:45)
• “What really struck me about this case...is maybe even more shocking, right? That a mother would go along with allowing her children to be inside of the homes when, you know, people are killed. I just don’t get it.”
  — Mike Ferguson (59:10)

Segment Timestamps (Key Events & Discussion)

| Topic | Timestamps | |---------------------------------------------------|--------------------| | Host Banter & Intro | 01:31 – 03:45 | | Case presentation: Lucille Johnson Background | 04:20 – 08:23 | | Murder details & crime scene | 08:23 – 15:38 | | Early Investigation and Mystery | 15:38 – 17:44 | | Cold case breakthrough: DNA advances | 17:44 – 25:25 | | Sansing’s background & criminal escalation | 25:25 – 29:30 | | Trudy Calabresi’s murder | 29:30 – 44:18 | | Family roles, trauma to children | 44:18 – 52:26 | | Justice & prosecution | 52:26 – 55:35 | | Cold case connections & legacy | 55:35 – 59:10 | | Episode closing thoughts | 59:10 – End |

Language & Tone

• The hosts share a respectful, grave, and empathetic tone, often pausing to reflect on the victims’ character and the senselessness of the crimes.
• Frequent asides express rage and bewilderment at the cruelty displayed, especially toward vulnerable victims and the psychological impact on Sansing’s children.
• Their conversational style preserves the seriousness while making space for listener reflection:
  “There are just people out there looking, trolling for victims...that continues to scare me.” — Mike Ferguson (57:55)

Takeaways

• The case exemplifies not just the horror of violent crime but reveals how predatory individuals exploit trust, and how small acts—like a ride home or an act of church charity—can have tragic outcomes.
• Advances in DNA technology and perseverance by law enforcement brought long-sought answers, but also illuminated investigative oversights that could have solved the case sooner.
• The trauma extends far beyond victims to families, including Sansing’s own children, who became inadvertent witnesses to their parents’ monstrous acts.
• The importance of revisiting cold cases, applying new forensic methods, and pursuing justice for all victims, regardless of whether a perpetrator is already incarcerated, is emphasized.

For listeners new and returning, this episode delivers a tragic and thorough exploration of one woman’s murder—and the far-reaching ripple effects wrought by an evil that hides in plain sight.