
This week, in Wiggins, Mississippi, a troubled man keeps getting in trouble with the law, doing increasingly crazy & violent things, even as everyone around tries to help him. He tried to eat a man's face, while in jail, and it gets worse from...
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James Petra Gallo
Hey, everybody. Just gonna take a quick break from the show to tell you about one of my favorite things in the world. Audible.
Jimmy Wisman
Oh, audible.com or the app.
James Petra Gallo
Oh, I give that app a workout. Let me tell you something. Listening on Audible helps your imagination soar. You can listen to anything. There's so many genres on there. There's more to imagine when you listen. And let me tell you something that makes my imagination soar in a terrible way. I've been listening to Secrets in the Cellar.
Jimmy Wisman
Oh, boy.
James Petra Gallo
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Jimmy Wisman
Now back to the show.
James Petra Gallo
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Jimmy Wisman
Sure do.
James Petra Gallo
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Jimmy Wisman
And now back to the show.
James Petra Gallo
Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. With the price of just about everything going up during inflation, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer, which is apparently a thing. Mint Mobile unlimited premium wireless. 30. 30. Biddy. Get 30. Get 20. 20. 20. Better get 20. 20. Better get 15.
Jimmy Wisman
15. 15.
James Petra Gallo
15. Just 15 bucks a month. Sold. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch. $45 upfront payment, equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first three month plan only. Taxes and fees, extra Speed slower above 40G detail. Hello everybody and welcome back to small town Murder Express.
Jimmy Wisman
Yay and choo choo.
James Petra Gallo
Oh yay indeed, Jimmy. Yay indeed. My name is James Petra Gallo. I'm here with my co host.
Jimmy Wisman
Hi, I'm Jimmy Wisman.
James Petra Gallo
Thank you folks so much for joining us. Jimmy, you are on. He's like hyped up today. He's in on it today. He's like, I'm ready to go.
Jimmy Wisman
I'm gonna be late every day.
James Petra Gallo
That's right. I doubt that. But we're gonna.
Jimmy Wisman
I've just figured out time, James. If you're not early, you're late.
James Petra Gallo
If you're not early, you're late. That's right. If you're not 10 minutes early, you're 10 minutes.
Jimmy Wisman
If you're on time, you're late.
James Petra Gallo
That's right. So we're gonna get into this small town Murder Express. Two pounds or ten pounds of murder in a two pound bag. I'm sorry. There we go. Fun stuff here. Head over to shut up and give me murder.com. get your tickets for live shows. Austin, Texas, you are up next. There's not many tickets left so get in there right now and finish them up and get in there and buy them. And also Boston and New York. Phoenix is sold out and there is still time to get your tickets and watch the virtual live show.
Jimmy Wisman
What a show.
James Petra Gallo
It was so fun waiting to see our costumes.
Jimmy Wisman
We committed.
James Petra Gallo
And the case too was wild. A really fun show. But it's available for two weeks after October 30th. So if you're in that range of to what? November 13th or whatever, 2020. You got 2024 in cases you're listening next year. Yeah, check that out. Shut up and give me murder. Calm. So much fun. Can't wait. Also patreon.com crime and sports is where you get all the bonus material. Anybody $5 a month or above. You get everything?
Jimmy Wisman
Yes, sir.
James Petra Gallo
Entire back catalog. Hundreds of bonus episodes you've never heard before. New ones every other week. One crime in sports, one small town murder. And hey, you know what? We're feeling generous. You get it all, baby. Take it all, take it all. This week we're going to talk about for crime and sports, we're going to talk about a weird old timey sport from the 1800s called pedestrianism.
Jimmy Wisman
Fascinating.
James Petra Gallo
And there's performance enhancing drugs and fighting and it was more popular than baseball and soccer. And it's the weirdest thing you're ever going to hear. It's oh yeah, we'll talk all about it old school. Then for small town murder, we are going to talk about that exorcism documentary, the Devil on Trial. It's about the, I think it's one of the only cases in history where they tried to use demonic possession as an actual alibi or an excuse or a defense. And we'll talk about that and some other cool exorcism type stuff here. All of that and more. Patreon.com CrimeInSports so get in there right now. That said, it's time, let's jump right into this because we have a seriously wild story for you today. I mean just wow, you're going to be shaking your head after this. So I think it's time everybody sitting out there all take a deep breath, arms to the sky, let's all shout shut up and give me murder. Let's do this, everybody. Let's go on a trip, shall we? All right. We are going on down south again. We were in Alabama this week. Normally we don't lump the places in together, but this week is how it worked out.
Jimmy Wisman
It's fun to do different regions because then you get sure.
James Petra Gallo
But here we're going, we were Alabama, now we're going to Mississippi. Okay, here. This is Wiggins, Mississippi. Yeah, like Chief Wiggin or that's Wiggum.
Jimmy Wisman
Oh yeah, it is.
James Petra Gallo
This is Wiggins.
Jimmy Wisman
Okay, like a Dr. Seuss book.
James Petra Gallo
Yes. W I G G I N S Mississippi, Southern Mississippi down in the old Mississippi panhandle there. Yes sir, is what I like to call it. That is where Alabama and Louisiana kind of intrudes on Mississippi down there. It's an hour and a half to Mobile, Alabama to the east and about an hour and a half to New Orleans to the west.
Jimmy Wisman
Oh, look at that.
James Petra Gallo
It's right in between these two places. It's about five hours to our last Mississippi case which was in Horn Lake and that was called burning your bff. Oh boy, that was wild stuff there. So yeah, that was a crazy ass episode. This is in Stone county.
Jimmy Wisman
Sure.
James Petra Gallo
Area codes 601. Population here, 4282. So a decent sized small town. Still a very small town.
Jimmy Wisman
2000, it's not that much.
James Petra Gallo
Not that much, but it's not like 400, which is what we've been a couple of them lately. Median household income here, it's low enough to be a problem, I would think. $48,784. So my. Yeah, more than 20,000 less than the national average median home cost here, $138,900.
Jimmy Wisman
Get out of my life.
James Petra Gallo
Median home cost here.
Jimmy Wisman
That is unbelievable.
James Petra Gallo
So actually, the 48,000. Isn't that terrible when you put it in context with that? And it's very inexpensive to live here. Overall history of this town. Okay. 1886, James Madison Hatton, who is the son of Wiggins Hatton.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, that was the first name.
James Petra Gallo
Wiggins. Wiggins Hatton. His name was homesteaded 160 acres of north central Harrison County. And they needed to have a definite place to meet and trade and exchange news, everybody to get together. So a small village was established on a portion of James Madison Hatton's land. Sure. It was called Nile City. Oh, he didn't name it after himself or his dad. Nile City. In honor of Judge H.C. niles.
Jimmy Wisman
Great guy.
James Petra Gallo
And then in a. They tried to get a post office in that name in 1896, but there was already a Nile City, Michigan. So the post office department said, no, thank you.
Jimmy Wisman
Already had a Nile City.
James Petra Gallo
Nile City. Which makes no sense because there is a hundred. There's a bunch of city names and town names that are in every state.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
How many Springfields are there?
Jimmy Wisman
Right there.
James Petra Gallo
It's a joke. You know, even Caledonia, there's like 30 Caledonians.
Jimmy Wisman
What? Caledonia.
James Petra Gallo
There's like 10, 20 Miamis in this country.
Jimmy Wisman
People, more than one person had the idea to name it Caledonia.
James Petra Gallo
Yes. So to honor Wiggins Hatton, they named Wiggins here. They. This is great. One of the first things they needed to do was build a town jail. So they built a town jail. It was a 12 by 20 foot. It was 10 foot high and had two rooms. Right now, they said that had to be very well constructed. They were very concerned about people breaking people out. So it was so well constructed that a few years later, as a Halloween prank, some of the teenagers from the area, young boys from the area, overturned the jail, the whole building. They turned it upside down.
Jimmy Wisman
They flipped the jail over like it's a Volkswagen Beetle.
James Petra Gallo
Yes. That's a prank right there. They came to work the next day and they were like, I'll be a son of bitch dog my cats. This is a goddamn jail. Is.
Jimmy Wisman
How are we going to get that dog thing back on its side?
James Petra Gallo
We're going to have to arrest only people walking on their hands from now on because this isn't going to work. So later they decided that we should construct a new jail that the children can't overturn. If the kids could overturn. Imagine what an Angry mob or like a group of outlaws, perhaps.
Jimmy Wisman
Spike that to the ground. Why are circus tents built stronger than this?
James Petra Gallo
They had some fires, of course. 1910, a fire destroyed all of the business part of town and a few residents as well.
Jimmy Wisman
Sure.
James Petra Gallo
And the meeting place was moved to a room located in the southwest corner of the school building. And they had to fix shit. And they rebuilt it with brick buildings.
Jimmy Wisman
Smart.
James Petra Gallo
In 1912, the American Pickle and Canning Company was founded.
Jimmy Wisman
Is that. Wow.
James Petra Gallo
Absolutely. And then the plant burned to the ground in 1913. Of course, the year later. And then it was replaced again. Reviews of this town since. We've never been here, Right? I don't know what's going on down there. Let's find out. Maybe other people do. Here's five stars. I love Wiggins, Mississippi.
Jimmy Wisman
Sure you do.
James Petra Gallo
Fuck yeah. I've always lived here.
Jimmy Wisman
Is that right?
James Petra Gallo
Ever since forever.
Jimmy Wisman
Son of a guy.
James Petra Gallo
Most of my family is here. I love the small town atmosphere. Filled with people who genuinely care about you. Well, they at least care about your business. Because they're nosy. I think that's what it is. I don't think they care about you, but they care what you and your husband did and talked about. And they're gonna tell their friend. There's no other town like Wiggins. And I'm proud that this is my hometown. Jesus. Here's three stars. My town is. And then in quotes. All right. Not the best to live in, but it'll do. There are some troubles in this town. And quit. Don't have the money to fix some things here.
Jimmy Wisman
I mean, quite.
James Petra Gallo
That's what I would think. Yeah. That's why I want to move on to better things and get away from the troubles of this town.
Jimmy Wisman
Okay.
James Petra Gallo
Finally. Two stars. There aren't many things to do in Wiggins. Nor are there many restaurants to eat at. Yeah.
Jimmy Wisman
There's only 4,000 people.
James Petra Gallo
That's what I mean. There's only one high school and one middle school. It would be nice for more things to be opened up. They make it sound like there's a bunch of closed restaurants that they're just. They won't let you in. It's all set up in there. You look in. There's booths and shit. The kitchen's all cleaned up with stainless steel. Shit. They're like. They won't let us in. Open it up.
Jimmy Wisman
Sign just says close.
James Petra Gallo
I swear we'll buy stuff. Just open it. Things to do here. Here we go. The Mississippi. Music, Food and trail ride Festival.
Jimmy Wisman
Trail ride too.
James Petra Gallo
Trail ride It Is put on by Independent Chicks Entertainment. Oh yeah. And it's expected to draw nearly 10,000 people to this town, which is more than double.
Jimmy Wisman
This town's about to grow by 3.
James Petra Gallo
Triple the population is down. There's something for everyone with live music, a car show, a talent contest with cash prizes. Those are always entertaining, as we know. Vendors, food and more. Festival goers are invited to bring their lawn chairs, tents and picnic blankets too. Bring your tents.
Jimmy Wisman
Bring a tent.
James Petra Gallo
Horses are even welcome here, Eddie. Whatever you got. Donkeys, horses. Pack your relatives from outtown, bring them in.
Jimmy Wisman
Ride that motherfucker in.
James Petra Gallo
What the hell?
Jimmy Wisman
The back of him.
James Petra Gallo
There's a contest for the best dressed cowboy and best dressed cowgirl as well.
Jimmy Wisman
What does that even mean?
James Petra Gallo
I don't know. I. Fringy.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
Turquoise. Lots of. Lots of silver is all I can imagine. I don't know.
Jimmy Wisman
I don't know.
James Petra Gallo
Fancy cowboy.
Jimmy Wisman
Do you want me? Do you want him dressed like 1940s cowboys?
James Petra Gallo
Do you want like a 40s movie? You want the Three Amigos cowboy? Or are we talking about like a real guy who actually does work on.
Jimmy Wisman
The fucking range on a ranch hand or fucking.
James Petra Gallo
Or Martin Short fighting El Guapo? Which one would you prefer? Musical performances will be given by Lil a. Yep. Okay. T.J. eubanks.
Jimmy Wisman
Yep. They always go by Nick initials.
James Petra Gallo
It's the Newlywed Game host. That's his kid. Bob Eubanks. Fire. Flame. And fire is F, Y, A H, F, Lame. As opposed to any other kind of flame. Jones. Jones.
Jimmy Wisman
That's the person.
James Petra Gallo
Jones. Yes, it's all. And others.
Jimmy Wisman
I mean, all these people are vague as fuck. You might as well just make them.
James Petra Gallo
The auto show portion of the festival will feature DJ Baby Boy and Babies with A. And Boi is boy. DJ Baby Boy. They said it's the first time they've hosted the event in Wiggins, but they've hosted it all over the place. It's 25 bucks to get in, which is steep down there.
Jimmy Wisman
I guess all those people require fees, huh? They're not doing it for free.
James Petra Gallo
Oh, you can't. You mean TJ Eubanks won't show up unless he's work for free? All of his riders needs are met. Like what are we talking about? DJ Baby Boy doesn't do shit for free, but oh boy. And there's also the Stone County Fair.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
Which features a horse show, a queen contest, a goat, lamb and hog show. It's not fair if the lambs have to compete against the hogs. That's not Right.
Jimmy Wisman
Goat, lamb and hog. Okay.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah. A talent show. Eventually it'll be ham. A talent show. All these. They all have talent shows.
Jimmy Wisman
I hope there's just some rude redneck of Simon Cowell.
James Petra Gallo
You know what I mean? Yeah.
Jimmy Wisman
It's gotta be one, right?
James Petra Gallo
I doubt it. That's good.
Jimmy Wisman
Everybody's just good.
James Petra Gallo
That's supportive.
Jimmy Wisman
That'll do.
James Petra Gallo
Well, next, Nick, there's a dessert contest.
Jimmy Wisman
Sure.
James Petra Gallo
Obviously that fits in here. And then live entertainment. The Lincoln outfit, which I think would be an unpopular band down here.
Jimmy Wisman
Not yet.
James Petra Gallo
The Lincoln outfit, generally not really popular, called the Union Army. That's the Lincoln outfit.
Jimmy Wisman
That's called the People that Made Us do this Work Ourselves. Fuck them.
James Petra Gallo
Fuck that shit. So there's also brides and midway shit and everything that said, let's talk about some murder.
Jimmy Wisman
Here we go.
James Petra Gallo
Okay, let's start out with a young man. All right. Terrell Antyrion Johnson.
Jimmy Wisman
Terrell.
James Petra Gallo
Terrell is his first name, but one R. Two Ls, which is an odd spelling. And his middle name is Antirion. A N T, E, R, I O N. Antirion, which sounds like a space warrior. Antirion from the planet Glaxico. Like what the fuck is that?
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah. Wow.
James Petra Gallo
It sounds like a transformer. Antirion.
Jimmy Wisman
I saw a name Cleanthony and it looks like Cleanthony.
James Petra Gallo
That's not good. Yeah, that's so bad. Yeah, you need it. You need an apostrophe in there like the bricashaw. You got a debris that bad boy.
Jimmy Wisman
Cleanthony.
James Petra Gallo
No. So Terrell Antirion Johnson. He's born in 1989. Old Anterion here. Yes. Now he is born into a very good family. He's the only child of a very close and good family. Here. His parents are. His parents aren't married and they never will get married. But his father is a very well known reverend Baptist reverend named the Reverend Rob Harris.
Jimmy Wisman
Is that right?
James Petra Gallo
Which I wonder how much of his congregation knows about his wayward children. Yeah. And his mother is Sherry Johnson. So there's Reverend Bob Harris as the father. He takes the mother's name, Sherry Johnson here. But they're both. She works in schools, he's a preacher. They're very well respected. She's from a very close knit family. She lives on Johnson Road. And like most of the people who live on the street are related to her.
Jimmy Wisman
Okay. And it might be a family name of that.
James Petra Gallo
It is. No, it is, because all of them. There's like all the different houses on there that are Johnson. So it's their History down here. That's it. So they had their son when they were very young as well. I think Sherry was 22 when she had him, and. But they were never married.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
Now, Terrell, as a young man, he served in the US Army. He was in the US Army. He attended community college for a while, but he had some problems. He just can't ever get it together. And we'll find out. He's got some mental issues, and that's the main issue here. He holds a lot of, like, temp labor jobs, some landscaping and things like that. After the military, after trying to go to college, he can't, like, hold down a real, you know, a nine to five, basically.
Jimmy Wisman
What year are we catching up with him?
James Petra Gallo
Well, after College would be 2008. Wow. I mean. Or after Army, 2009. 10. Around there.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
So he. Yeah, he's attending community college. I mean, this isn't like way back in the day, this guy's on fucking Facebook, you know what I mean? Not Instagram quite yet, but he'll get there.
Jimmy Wisman
He could be on Twitter. It's possible.
James Petra Gallo
Then next year. Next year, I think, is it 2011 or 9? So he does all that. Never really steadily employed as an adult, though. Never. Doesn't have the same job for a year where he goes to work and comes home and.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, it is tough when you don't have a contract to do it.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah, he can't really do that. So now, he received from what the army said, substantial psychiatric and psychological treatment in the past from multiple things. A psychotic disorder, schizophrenia spectrum, and chronic delusional disorder. If you put all three of those.
Jimmy Wisman
Together, that's a man seeing shit and lashing out.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah. If someone's schizophrenic, who's seeing shit, and then they're psychotic also. That is a fucking scary combination. So, history of hospitalizations, has violent disputes with random people, family members. No one knows what the hell's wrong with him other than those three things. And he's not real receptive to treatment either. He's so kind of out there. 2015. Wow. He has a banner year in 2015. We'll say he's arrested three different times. And one thing, the worst thing he does, he never even gets charged for, which is wild, really. He's arrested three times, multiple charges, including domestic violence, assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, marijuana possession. His mother called the cops for help with him because she didn't know what to do with him anymore. And he assaulted a police officer in one scene. He's a mess the first time the officers are called, this is called to the house, his mom calls him out. He's living alone. It's those two living at home. Her only child, too. So they. He got mad. Terrell did, when his mother told him to. What do you think it was? Clean up, turn off the tv.
Jimmy Wisman
Is that right?
James Petra Gallo
When's the last time you got back because your mom told you to turn off the TV when you were five? I mean, the Smurfs are on, like, you know.
Jimmy Wisman
Certainly too young to. To do anything about it.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah. This man is, you know, in his late 20s.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
So he freaked out. He balled his hands into fists like a child and said, what are you going to do? Yeah, how are you going to make me do it? So his mother, fearful he was going to have a fucking meltdown, called the deputies, the sheriff's deputies to try to calm him down. And he didn't get calm. He actually got more agitated about the whole thing. Fought with the deputies, and they had to tase him multiple times in his own mother's living room to try to calm him down, like, a lot. They had, like, four or five times they had to tase him. So once he was shocked. They handcuffed him, took him to jail. Four days later, he's out. Oh, he's out by then? Yeah, they let him out. He's feeling much better now. And four days later, they had to come back to the house because Sherry reported that she and her son were talking in the kitchen. And he grew belligerent in her words. Her son picked her up and threw her a distance of 7 to 8ft out of the back door and into the yard, injuring her right arm.
Jimmy Wisman
Threw her out the door, picked her.
James Petra Gallo
Up and tossed her out the door. He's a big guy, too. He's not a small guy. He's like an athletic guy. He looks strong.
Jimmy Wisman
He bounced her.
James Petra Gallo
He took her ass and said, out the door. Mash when she flew through the goddamn air.
Jimmy Wisman
You won't have any of your shit in this establishment today.
James Petra Gallo
She called deputies for help and then fled next door to her mother's house. His grandma lives next door here. So they show up and it's just him alone when they get there. Terrell alone. He fought with the deputies. They try to handcuff him. He's taking swings at him. He's fighting him. So they had to tase him four times on this occasion. So he's been tased, like, almost 10 times in four days. A lot can't be good for your heart. And other things, I would imagine those.
Jimmy Wisman
Things, like, they instantly turn your. Something in your blood into sugar. It does something good. It's not good.
James Petra Gallo
It's not good for you.
Jimmy Wisman
It raises your blood sugar or something. It does something to your blood that. When your muscles contract, it does that.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah. That's weird. Yeah, it's a. I know what you're talking about, too. There's a protein in it does.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, it does something to your blood. It's not healthy.
James Petra Gallo
It's not good for you.
Jimmy Wisman
Not for four fucking shocks and Ford. Eight, seven, eight.
James Petra Gallo
Multiple d a lot. Yeah, it's like eight, eight to ten. Over the course of four days.
Jimmy Wisman
That's too much.
James Petra Gallo
These four stunnings. He's so agitated this time, that doesn't even do it. He's still fighting with them, so they have to beat him with a baton after stunning him four times to get him into custody, by the way. These cops are not against him. One of the cops is a good. As a cousin of them and knows them well and used to be this guy's mentor. They're not like they're on his side. They know the family like all these. It's a small area. All the cops. One of their relatives is a sheriff's deputy, too. So they are not just that guy, another guy. So they all.
Jimmy Wisman
Somebody on scene is crying because they don't want to do this.
James Petra Gallo
They know. They're not just like, oh, let's go take a guy down. They know this guy. So they're like. They don't want. Please, Terrell, don't make us beat the shit out of you.
Jimmy Wisman
Stop making us do this.
James Petra Gallo
He's kicking them, punching them, throwing shit out of them.
Jimmy Wisman
It hurts you more than it hurts me.
James Petra Gallo
Fuck. So they had to take him to jail again. May 2015. Okay. Yeah. There was a complaint of someone stealing gas from a gas station.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
Put gas in and drove away. Didn't pay for it. All right.
Jimmy Wisman
That's a fascinating thing that's still available.
James Petra Gallo
It's very rare that that's still available. There's some small towns, though, that are like that. They don't have pay. First, you can gas up first, then go pay for it, which they don't.
Jimmy Wisman
Have a way to lock the gas pump.
James Petra Gallo
Crazy. No, they just have.
Jimmy Wisman
It's just open.
James Petra Gallo
We trust you.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah. The power's on.
James Petra Gallo
They may not trust you in the big city, but here we trust you. So they try to pull him over because it's his vehicle that they describe. He won't pull over.
Jimmy Wisman
Nope.
James Petra Gallo
He Won't pull over. They finally get him to pull over at a gas station, another gas station. He is told to stay out of his vehicle and leave the air and not leave the area. Stay right there. And of course he didn't. He got back in the car, took off again. He then takes off and ends up driving the car, leading them on a chase to a house out in the county. Sure, I don't even know whose house it is. Ends up in the house and has a standoff with the cops. He gets in the house before he locks it up and has a big standoff with the cops. Eventually he surrenders, mainly because he had to be treated at the hospital for shitloads of self inflicted knife wounds that he was doing cutting and stabbing himself while he was in there.
Jimmy Wisman
Wow.
James Petra Gallo
So eventually he gave up. He's like, I guess I gotta go to the hospital. I'm all fucked up.
Jimmy Wisman
There's no good outcome for this. No, this is fucked up.
James Petra Gallo
He needs medication. Would be a inpatient, inpatient medication. He needs all the Asians here, Asians and Asians and everything else.
Jimmy Wisman
Operate any vehicles or no or jobs. Obviously.
James Petra Gallo
That's what I mean. You can't give this guy power tools.
Jimmy Wisman
That's not a functioning member of society. We need to take care of him.
James Petra Gallo
So June 29, 2015, he's in the Stone County Correctional Facility.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, of course he is.
James Petra Gallo
It's rough. So there he encounters Jaron Stubbs, who's an inmate who's there for methamphetamine distribution.
Jimmy Wisman
Fantastic.
James Petra Gallo
Very nice guy here. He's a federal pre trial detainee housed in this place. And I guess here comes Terrell. They got in an argument and we'll talk about why in a moment here. But during the attack, Terrell attacks this man and beats him severely. And this guy said he didn't know that Terrell was going to attack him. He said, in fact, before the attack, the only interactions they ever had, one on one, was this guy a couple weeks before that telling Johnson that Johnson couldn't take food belonging to other inmates in the cafeteria. He was just taking food off people's plates. Like, dude, you can't do that.
Jimmy Wisman
I wouldn't tell him.
James Petra Gallo
I wouldn't learn. Well, someone's gonna fucking stand.
Jimmy Wisman
I'm not teaching him.
James Petra Gallo
What Terrell is considered in prison, what he's would be called is a bug. That's what they call these guys. They call the crazy ones that aren't in like a mental unit, they call them bugs. Yeah, everybody avoids them. They sit by themselves in the cafeteria. Usually maybe three, four at a time. We'll sit together and that's the bug table. They'll call it. Like, the bugs know they're nobody. Everybody knows not to fuck with them. They're fucking mentally ill.
Jimmy Wisman
They're out of control.
James Petra Gallo
And you don't. You don't tell them not to do shit or do shit.
Jimmy Wisman
There's no reasoning with them.
James Petra Gallo
No, that. And that's what it is. You have to beat them to death if you want. It's easier just to avoid them. So most of the inmates, they just avoid the bugs. That's what they do. And that's what Terrell is. He's a bug. And this guy decided to try to. I guess. I don't know. And who knows how he told him. We don't know if he's like, hey, man, just for me to. You people are gonna get pissed off. Or he was like, hey, motherfucker, don't take shit off people's plates. Either way, there was no. There was no problem at that moment.
Jimmy Wisman
Okay.
James Petra Gallo
Happened a couple weeks later. So Stubbs, the Jaron Stubbs, here he was. Only resided in the same zone as Terrell J Zone for a two month period. And so apparently he said that Johnson not only attacked him, attacked several other people around him. He just started going nuts.
Jimmy Wisman
All at the same time.
James Petra Gallo
All at the same time. But he really, really attacked Stubbs. He beat him severely. And bit his nose off his face.
Jimmy Wisman
Jesus.
James Petra Gallo
And bit his lips off.
Jimmy Wisman
Wow.
James Petra Gallo
He bit his. I'm not talking. He bit his nose to the point where. When they took him to the hospital, it was sitting in a cup of ice next to him. Like bit clean off his body and spit it on the floor.
Jimmy Wisman
Wow.
James Petra Gallo
Then bit the man's lips off. Have you ever heard of that?
Jimmy Wisman
I've seen it. Not by a person. I've seen a lip get torn off.
James Petra Gallo
That is wild.
Jimmy Wisman
It's fucked up.
James Petra Gallo
I've never heard of two men fighting and one man biting the other man's lips off. I've never heard of that before. Yeah.
Jimmy Wisman
Tyson stopped at the ear.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah, it was a nibble. He didn't go in for a whole nose.
Jimmy Wisman
That guy took his whole nose.
James Petra Gallo
Whole nose off. So this guy will end up suing the government. The federal government is a federal prison. Alleging that Terrell was only in general population because his cousin Captain Ray Boggs, is a local sheriff's deputy. Really? And that's the thing here. We're dealing with a small town.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
And they. The cops know him and rather than him being in isolation, which is a lot of times where they put these people so they can keep their medicine and all that kind of shit, they just put him in gen pot because that's where he wanted to be.
Jimmy Wisman
Who gives a fuck what he wants?
James Petra Gallo
They wanted to help him out. So after the attack, Stubbs was brought to the prison infirmary. But his injuries were deemed sufficiently serious that they couldn't fix them there. So he was sent to the Forest General Hospital. The hospital staff advised prison officials that he'd receive better care at another facility. Yeah, we can't really do that.
Jimmy Wisman
We can't do plastic surgery here.
James Petra Gallo
Well, that was just at the hospital. And then so they moved him again to the Merritt Health Center. So he's been moved all the way around here.
Jimmy Wisman
With his nose on ice.
James Petra Gallo
With his nose on ice. He received subsequent plastic surgeries on his mouth and nose. However, after a surgery on October 15, 2018, they stopped giving him treatment. And he said he still has trouble breathing through his nose. He's all fucked up and he wants more medical attention. The complaint said once they put the nose back on, they were like, that's good enough.
Jimmy Wisman
It's on. What do you want?
James Petra Gallo
So they said that he was not given pain medication while being transported, despite him having his nose and lips bitten off and bleeding profusely from the face.
Jimmy Wisman
Then you put my upper lip on the bottom and the bottom on the top.
James Petra Gallo
What are you doing? What are you doing? I look super weird now. So he said that jail officials failed to protect him from assault, violating his 8th and 14th amendment rights. According to the lawsuit, they unlawfully mixed Johnson, who was a county inmate, in with federal pretrial detainees.
Jimmy Wisman
Okay.
James Petra Gallo
The lawsuit also alleges that Johnson was unstable, mentally ill, and posed a threat to other inmates, and claims that Stubbs should have been placed in an isolated cell. But because of his relation to Captain Boggs, he was moved around the jail. And the jail kept him in the general population. It alleges that employees at the jail failed to keep Stubbs safe and were untrained to handle the assault. Very few people are trained to handle a nose that's off your face.
Jimmy Wisman
Most people are ill prepared to put.
James Petra Gallo
Lips back on a person's face to.
Jimmy Wisman
Stop a person that does that from doing that. So fucking yeah.
James Petra Gallo
Well, that's not normal behavior.
Jimmy Wisman
Where would you start?
James Petra Gallo
Even in prison, that's like, holy shit.
Jimmy Wisman
What are you doing, man?
James Petra Gallo
If that's aberrant behavior for prison, you know, you're fucking nuts.
Jimmy Wisman
You didn't file Down a toothbrush. You're just biting faces, man.
James Petra Gallo
So Stubbs alleges that the jail staff were aware of the mental illness of Johnson and should have kept him in an isolated cell for disciplinary problems. Also it suggests that Johnson was allowed to be remain in the general population, posing a threat to other inmates. It complains that the complaint says that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has failed to pay for required plastic surgery leaving Johnson deformed and suffering from ptsd. Whenever he views his face in the mirror.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, or when I go to the fucking dentist seeing a tooth, anything.
James Petra Gallo
Well they're like, open up. And he's like, it's already done, pal.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, I can't close.
James Petra Gallo
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Jimmy Wisman
SimpliSafe.com S I M P L isafe.com that is correct.
James Petra Gallo
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Jimmy Wisman
Now back to the show.
James Petra Gallo
All right everybody. Today we're talking about Dr. Squatch. Now you might know this brand from their natural cold processed bar soaps which are all great. They're amazing. If you haven't done it, check those out. But now they've got the same real soap formula available in body wash form. And it is good. I'm telling you right now. They're made with natural ingredients derived from coconuts and plants to provide all day skin hydration. Available in four unique and manly scents. Coconut Castaway, Pine Tar, Wood Barrel Bourbon and Fresh Falls. Dermatologists Tested and clinically proven to provide 24 hour moisturization. So you can still smell tough while taking care of your. Maybe your soft side. You know what I mean? Dr. Squatch products are made for men. But we're telling you these soaps, no matter what and in what form are loved by all. So you really can't go wrong here, everybody. My favorite by the way, is the Fresh Falls. I tried that and I dig it. So what are you waiting for? Go pick one up at your favorite store or@drsquatch.com today. Dr. Squatch Body Wash for men who prefer natural. Stubbs also claimed jail officials said he told jail officials he would like to press criminal charges against Johnson. Though that has not been notified of the state of the prosecution. They never charge him with this, by the way. This is what I mean. He almost killed a man by eating his face.
Jimmy Wisman
Right.
James Petra Gallo
And they didn't even charge him with shit. They just let him go.
Jimmy Wisman
It's assault, but I mean it's battery.
James Petra Gallo
It's assault, battery, attempted attempted murder. There's all sorts of shit that it could be. So he wants a million dollars as well as $400,000 in compensatory damage.
Jimmy Wisman
I think he deserves way more.
James Petra Gallo
I think that's crazy. Now in 2016, because that's what he was. Johnson was being held in jail awaiting trial and stuff. So in 2016 he pleads guilty to all of his other shit. Not the attacking the inmates. His sentence is five years in prison, but it's suspended. What they say? No, no, no. We need him on the streets. He's a valuable member of society. Mr. L. Johnson. How did he.
Jimmy Wisman
Such a great lawyer.
James Petra Gallo
So they suspend the five year sentence and instead give him three years of probation. Not even five years like the sentence. Three years of probation. Now the. His probation officer said that she tried to get him sent to prison, but the state never followed her recommendations. Yeah, she constantly tried to get him put away.
Jimmy Wisman
She's violating them always.
James Petra Gallo
Yep. She. In 2017, in March, his probation was revoked.
Jimmy Wisman
Okay.
James Petra Gallo
And he was ordered to attend and successfully completed an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment program at the VA hospital.
Jimmy Wisman
Okay, so he tested dirty.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah, he's been. I mean that's the other thing too. He likes drugs and booze and when you're.
Jimmy Wisman
He's doing math.
James Petra Gallo
Don't know when your brain. Well, you know, he likes weed, you know, that much. But I don't know if he's. That seems maybe that'll calm him down a little bit. Yeah, you don't eat People's faces on weed.
Jimmy Wisman
No, I mean, I've heard of the munchies.
James Petra Gallo
That's. Yeah. Jesus, Jimmy.
Jimmy Wisman
That's a bit far. Right.
James Petra Gallo
Thanks, Uncle Jimmy. Good God, how old are you? That's the oldest man joke I've ever heard about.
Jimmy Wisman
That's the first thing I thought of. I mean, you eat when you die.
James Petra Gallo
Third thing, Remember third one, first one's a work joke, second one's bad. Third one's the right one.
Jimmy Wisman
That's true.
James Petra Gallo
That's a comedian's credo, everybody. That's what we say in our heads.
Jimmy Wisman
You got Snickers, man.
James Petra Gallo
Yes. I love it, though. It's. Yeah, maybe that's what it was. This is real munchy. Out of character.
Jimmy Wisman
The guy's gotta have. It's gotta be something. Hard drugs, though.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah.
Jimmy Wisman
He's gotta be doing something else also.
James Petra Gallo
I think if your brain chemistry is that up where you have schizophrenic shit, delusional disorders, I think any messing with it.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, it's a freak. It's got to be tweeted.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah. It could push it here.
Jimmy Wisman
We're like, on a. If you got like a base that's got like a square. His top of that square is super narrow.
James Petra Gallo
Oh, fuck. Yeah.
Jimmy Wisman
And it's ready to just either side.
James Petra Gallo
He's the Leaning Tower of Terrell right now. He's about to fucking fall at any moment, so.
Jimmy Wisman
Oh, boy.
James Petra Gallo
She said that he was kicking. Kicked out of the VA program after that, though. And she said the probation officer said she recognized the violent tendencies of Terrell and wanted him incarcerated, but the state wouldn't follow her recommendation. She said, when I was his po, I tried everything in my power to get him sent to prison.
Jimmy Wisman
She didn't want to deal with him.
James Petra Gallo
Wow. Yeah. I can't deal with this guy.
Jimmy Wisman
That's almost. You almost want to fault her for being lazy, for not doing her job to take care of somebody. But how fucking crazy you gotta be to make a parole officer go, this isn't.
James Petra Gallo
This is crazy.
Jimmy Wisman
This isn't one of the way.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah, but also, how many people have a parole officer that really wants to put them in prison and can't get them put in prison? Usually a parole officer, that's the end. I'll be all send you right back there. She said, yeah. Tried to do everything in her power and Jackson would not allow that. Whatever. They said. They called me from Jackson, which is the Capitol. They called me from Jackson asking, quote, why I was being so hard on him. He ate a man's face. What the fuck are you talking about?
Jimmy Wisman
I think you gotta keep that guy in line.
James Petra Gallo
And asking me why I wouldn't allow him to go to the VA for treatment. Just send him in for treatment. He's fine. Yeah, but he's got connections. His family has connections is the problem.
Jimmy Wisman
Right.
James Petra Gallo
And it's not helping this guy. He needs help. He doesn't need.
Jimmy Wisman
I wonder why he did this.
James Petra Gallo
So she said that he'd already been kicked out of the VA but given no other option by a higher ups and Jackson had sent him there again.
Jimmy Wisman
Wow.
James Petra Gallo
Try that again. She said she told Jackson that they didn't know the type of person that she was dealing with. You don't know this fucking guy, right? I get whatever. You know somebody who's telling you something. You read a report. This motherfucker is crazy dangerous. I said, what do you do for a living? He said, captain Crunch. That doesn't make sense. I don't know what to do. I can't deal with this guy.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah. And I've read his report and every time he tells me he's hungry, I get very scared.
James Petra Gallo
I get scared. Exactly. Start covering my face up.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
I wear a ski mask for every visit.
Jimmy Wisman
Or a medieval helmet.
James Petra Gallo
No shit. A fucking huge one. She said. But they didn't listen. And I had to recommend to the judge that he be given another chance at the VA where he got kicked out. Again.
Jimmy Wisman
Just. They can't do it. They're not prepared and qualified to deal with it.
James Petra Gallo
And this is in a rehab center where people sometimes have some problems. But he has mental illnesses that are not what they deal with.
Jimmy Wisman
He lives in Wiggins.
James Petra Gallo
He lives in Wiggins on Johnson street with.
Jimmy Wisman
This town is incapable of caring for him.
James Petra Gallo
They can't. No. And it's even worse because this town, he has too many connections. So they keep. He keeps getting soft landings.
Jimmy Wisman
God damn.
James Petra Gallo
I mean, not that he needs punishment, but he needs. I don't know, he might, but he needs help at some certain. He needs something.
Jimmy Wisman
Guidance.
James Petra Gallo
He can't just go out and be a person. No, he needs mental health.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
Guidance. He needs a lot of shit going on here.
Jimmy Wisman
Look, there are people in the world. Life is bowling. Some people need the fucking gutter covers.
James Petra Gallo
That's.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, Some people need the bumpers. And he needs them.
James Petra Gallo
He needs them bad.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
And also if you could put like 20 pins out there for him, make sure he can get a lot of them to really set it up, make him feel good, you know?
Jimmy Wisman
Minimum 12:15.
James Petra Gallo
12:15. Yeah.
Jimmy Wisman
Let's get an extra robot.
James Petra Gallo
If he gets 10, we'll call it a strike, you know what I mean? He doesn't have to get them all, just give him extra chance to hit the pins. So in May 2017, he sentenced to attendance and completion of a long term drug and alcohol treatment program with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. So that's what he gets sentenced to then. Now by April of 2018, the court ruled. So this is almost a year he's in there. The court ruled that Johnson had successfully completed the doc's drug and alcohol treatment program and his probation was increased by two years and he was released from incarceration. That was the deal. You can get out, but you have.
Jimmy Wisman
To get this program done.
James Petra Gallo
You have to be on probate. We have to be able to keep an eye on. Yeah, I would say forever. So, yeah, for all times in a room, preferably with cameras on it all the time. Padded. A lot of stuff here. Yeah. So he's going to get out and move in with his mom again with Sherry Johnson because he has nowhere else to go. So Sherry Johnson here, she's born in 67, so she's 51 at this point. 2018. Yeah. She comes from a very tight knit family, like we said. Her mother, her sister, two of her brothers all live in different houses near her on Johnson Road.
Jimmy Wisman
Wild.
James Petra Gallo
So this is how it goes. Johnson comes from the type of family that follows, quote, this is from Boggs, by the way. The captain, police captain and relative said that they're the type of family that follows what he calls, quote, the old ways. I don't like that, of sitting outside on Sunday afternoon and just talking.
Jimmy Wisman
Okay.
James Petra Gallo
Old timey shit. Yeah. A family member grills out a lot and all the families get together to eat on the street.
Jimmy Wisman
Southern Barbecue day, somebody.
James Petra Gallo
And yes, somebody's getting together on that street and doing everything after church. Oh, absolutely, they're going to church for sure. We know that because Sherry's big in the church. She is a guy at this point. She's a guidance counselor at Hattiesburg High School. That's what she does for Sherry. Yeah, Sherry had been a counselor. Her son could use some guidance counseling.
Jimmy Wisman
No shit.
James Petra Gallo
So she'd been working as a counselor since 2014. Before that, she worked in the Harrison county school district from 2007 to 2014. And that's what they said. Now she worked at North Gulfport Middle School, part of the county school district, from 2010 to 2014. Also worked at a school in Mobile. Now Darrell L. Williams and his Wife Catherine were Johnson were Sherry's next door neighbors. On the other side, mom on one side, them on the other. When they lived in. Or, I'm sorry, this is when they lived in Mobile, they were their neighbors. And this is through Terrell Johnson's middle school years. They lived in Mobile. So this guy said his wife and Sherry Johnson still remain close friends and stay in touch. So they're nice people. Terrell was around the same age as this guy's son and they played football together. They had sleepovers together. They were, you know, Neighborhood pals. Yeah, two 12 year olds live next door to each other. You like football? I like football. We're best friends now.
Jimmy Wisman
Do you have one? Let's throw it. Fuck.
James Petra Gallo
Let's be Milhouse and Bart. Like, you know, we have nothing in common. But here we are. So they did all of that. They had sleepovers. William said, we were always at their house or they were always at our house. And then the Johnsons moved to Stone county and moved to Wiggins. And that's when Terrell joined the military after high school and all that kind of thing. Everybody said over the years, Sherri Johnson is always right there in her son's corner trying to help him, always trying to get him treatment, trying to help him, taking him in. She never says, you're too much, you can't come to my house. Never. It's all her friends. Says she loves him unconditionally and she knows he's got problems and she's known for a long time and they thought like the army would help him out. But if you're schizophrenic, the army isn't gonna help you with that.
Jimmy Wisman
You got three different mental health challenges there.
James Petra Gallo
A lot of problems. So the police had visited her home numerous occasions, as we know now, June 3, 2018, Sherry goes to church that day. Of course, it's a Sunday. And she even made plans with her friend after they talked. After church that later in the day they were gonna get together to go over some more Bible stuff. They didn't get enough church that day. What, not enough church? They're like, let's go over a couple things on this.
Jimmy Wisman
I don't really understand. Job. Let's talk about.
James Petra Gallo
Let's find out about him tonight. What do you say? On a nice Sunday night? Deal. So. But she said that night she never heard from Sherry. Oh, she called Sherry. Nobody answered.
Jimmy Wisman
She figured it out on her own.
James Petra Gallo
What the hell? I guess we're not. I guess we're not going to find out the Mysteries of the Bible tonight. No one's figured it out in thousands of years. And I guess it's not going to be us either. Okay, so this day, she had talked to a couple people on the phone. Not this lady, but a couple other people, relatives and such, and said that Terrell's having a bad day. It's not great. She said over the phone to two different people that he was, quote, psychotic today and has lost his fucking mind without the fucking. Because, you know, she was in the Jesus and shit.
Jimmy Wisman
But he's lost it today.
James Petra Gallo
He's lost it today. So no one hears from Sherry the third. The rest of the day on the third. No one hears from her on the fourth. No one hears from her on June 5th. Oh, boy. So June 6th, 2018. Jerry's brother said, this is bullshit. He had called a bunch of times. He went over to the house to say, where the fuck is my sister? And Terrell had said that she went on a cruise with her friends. Oh, she didn't tell anybody.
Jimmy Wisman
Nobody else knew about this?
James Petra Gallo
No. It's one of those people do this a lot. The last minute cruises, you're sitting around, you're like, I'm going on a cruise tonight. And you just leave. That happens very. People don't plan that shit for months in advance and buy special clothes.
Jimmy Wisman
Throw a windbreaker in a suitcase. Gone, off you go. I'll buy the rest on the ship.
James Petra Gallo
She's already got tons of sundresses. Everything's fine.
Jimmy Wisman
I'll bet you they got them all on that ship.
James Petra Gallo
They'll buy it all. So they didn't believe him, obviously. And they said, well, let us come in the house. And he said, no, no, you can't come in.
Jimmy Wisman
Stay out.
James Petra Gallo
They're like, okay, that's not gonna work. So the brother, Terrell's uncle, calls law enforcement because he said he wants a welfare check because Terrell won't let him in the fucking house. And I don't know. And they know she's not on a cruise because she would kind of probably tell you ahead of time, some big information. Yeah, I'm gonna take off work. It's. It's just that's a big thing.
Jimmy Wisman
I need a ride down to the Gulf Coast.
James Petra Gallo
I need a ride to the ocean. You know, things like that. So the sheriff's department, Stone county first went to the Johnson home on June 6th to do the welfare check. And Captain Boggs arrives. That is the cousin. He's the guy there, knows them all his life and everything. And so they Arrive and Terrell is on. Terrell's on the porch when they arrive. And he walks down into the driveway to meet them, greet them, and they say, hey, we're just. Your uncle called looking for your mom and couldn't find her and you wouldn't let him in and just, what's up? And he's. Yeah, I told them already. Same thing I'm gonna tell you guys. Her friend picked her up and they were going on a cruise.
Jimmy Wisman
They jumped on a carnival.
James Petra Gallo
That's it. I don't know, man, you know, last minute cruise invitation happens. So they said, okay, well, that makes sense. I mean, yeah, why not? It's good to get away. But just to reassure your uncle and the rest of your family, who's kind of. You know how people get.
Jimmy Wisman
They get nuts.
James Petra Gallo
Just let us go take a little, little looky loo.
Jimmy Wisman
We'll do a once around.
James Petra Gallo
You're gone in five minutes, you go back to what you're doing and we'll go. Fine. And they said. He said, yeah, sure, no problem. Come on in.
Jimmy Wisman
Okay.
James Petra Gallo
So they came on in, I guess. Just didn't want to take shit from his uncle. But he's okay with his cousin Boggs here. So.
Jimmy Wisman
Interesting.
James Petra Gallo
They walk around, everything in the house seems normal. Normal. They get to Sherry's bedroom and her door's locked. Oh, they're like, that's interesting.
Jimmy Wisman
Why would she lock this?
James Petra Gallo
Why would you lock this? Now, during this, Johnson's walking around, he's got shorts on, no shirt, and he's just kind of pacing around in circles. They said, this door is locked. How do we get that? And he said, I don't know. She locked it before she left town, man. When she leaves, she locks the door so I can't get in there. So they're like, huh, okay, yeah. She's on a cruise, though. And they were like, okay, yeah, but we got it. We have to check all the rooms. It's just part of procedure. We have to check it off the box. There's a form.
Jimmy Wisman
Just kick it.
James Petra Gallo
There's a form. So they end up figuring out how to open the door. And Jesus Christ, when Captain Ray Boggs opens the door here, he said, when I entered the bedroom, I immediately noticed blood everywhere, really. The walls, the bed, the floor, the ceiling were covered in blood. Butcher scene in there. I mean, fucking covered in blood. Like someone exploded in there.
Jimmy Wisman
Look, when I'm gonna rush out the door, sometimes I throw a little behind.
James Petra Gallo
You know what, too. You cut yourself and you spray it. They found everything. Ceiling Walls, floors, just smeared.
Jimmy Wisman
What?
James Petra Gallo
It's smeared, it's spattered, it's everything.
Jimmy Wisman
What's your excuse, man?
James Petra Gallo
They also find a bloody butter knife and also a serrated knife nearby that doesn't appear to be bloody except for some spatter, but not. But the butter knife looks like it's covered in blood.
Jimmy Wisman
What?
James Petra Gallo
Yes. So they're like, okay, something bad happened in here. The bog said, quote, I must have been to a hundred crime scenes in my career, but never one like this. It was heinous.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
So they. They're like, hey, but she's not in there, by the way. There's no Sherry.
Jimmy Wisman
No Sherry.
James Petra Gallo
Just blood everywhere. They're like, listen, what happened? You know that. That room ain't right, bro. Like, this is. This is fucked up. Where is your mom? She's on a cruise. No, she's not without her blood. She's not without a fucking.
Jimmy Wisman
She didn't take this.
James Petra Gallo
She's a few pints short.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
So I don't think she's getting.
Jimmy Wisman
She's woozy.
James Petra Gallo
Two of those tropical drinks, she's gonna fall over, man. It's not gonna be good.
Jimmy Wisman
She's not gonna have to worry about boat sickness.
James Petra Gallo
No.
Jimmy Wisman
She's already dizzy.
James Petra Gallo
So finally he said, she's in the backyard.
Jimmy Wisman
Oh.
James Petra Gallo
And they go, okay. And they walk out the back door and they find Sherry.
Jimmy Wisman
She's just right there.
James Petra Gallo
Her body is laying by a tree. It's just strewn over by a tree in the corner of the yard. Problem is, there's no head on the body.
Jimmy Wisman
What?
James Petra Gallo
It's a headless body laying there. So they're like, hey, head, a little more help.
Jimmy Wisman
A little help.
James Petra Gallo
They end up finding her head on the other side of a fence. He threw it about 12 to 15ft from the body.
Jimmy Wisman
He just took it off and threw it.
James Petra Gallo
He took it off. Threw it like a grenade.
Jimmy Wisman
Wow.
James Petra Gallo
Don't need that.
Jimmy Wisman
What year is this?
James Petra Gallo
2018.
Jimmy Wisman
This is crazy.
James Petra Gallo
This is fucking crazy. So it's insane. So they were. Boggs said that law enforcement was attempting to be respectful while they talked about it. But they said. Boggs said, it's already out there. So I can tell you her head was detached from her body. But out of respect to the family, I'm not going to go into that.
Jimmy Wisman
That's my cousin.
James Petra Gallo
That's my cousin. He said, this is by far the worst thing I've seen in law enforcement. Part of it is knowing the family and knowing the suspect.
Jimmy Wisman
How did he think, you know, that?
James Petra Gallo
No one would just. He could just Hang out in the house.
Jimmy Wisman
Those three pieces of mental illness, man.
James Petra Gallo
Wow.
Jimmy Wisman
Geez.
James Petra Gallo
They asked him, like, what happened, bro? And he said, we got in a fight over credit cards.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
She has no head. He didn't punch her in the mouth or anything. She has no head. You could have just bit her nose off. Like, the other guy didn't even bite her lips. Leave the rest of her head alone.
Jimmy Wisman
Took the.
James Petra Gallo
So a fight ensued and they fought. It looks like that Sherry fought back, too. They fought and he said he choked her until she stopped moving. Then she wasn't dead. She was unconscious. He choked her unconscious after choking her. He saw that this was in her bedroom. On her nightstand, there was a butter knife. So he grabbed the butter knife, used the butter knife and his, quote, hands and teeth to take her head off.
Jimmy Wisman
He bit her head off.
James Petra Gallo
He chewed through her fucking tendons and spinal. A butter knife isn't getting through that shit. He chewed his mother's head off and.
Jimmy Wisman
Then wiggled it until it came free.
James Petra Gallo
What?
Jimmy Wisman
In the shit?
James Petra Gallo
And his hands. Just tearing shit apart.
Jimmy Wisman
How long ago?
James Petra Gallo
Three days ago. He did this on the third. This happened on the third. And he just left her outside. They said, why did you. First of all, why'd you take her out of her room if that happened in a room? And he said, I didn't want it to stink up the house. I like my house to smell good.
Jimmy Wisman
The answers are so crazy. They get worse and worse.
James Petra Gallo
This is the craziest person.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
We've ever talked about.
Jimmy Wisman
I think. You ask any more questions?
James Petra Gallo
Yeah. So he told them that. Yeah. He just didn't want to stink. He didn't want to stink up the house, man.
Jimmy Wisman
Ruin the house. It gets in the carpet. There's no resale.
James Petra Gallo
Can't do that. Yeah. And then what am I going to do when I want to resell this bad boy?
Jimmy Wisman
Sometimes paint doesn't even fix it.
James Petra Gallo
So Sherry had stab and cut wounds to her neck and head area, but there's no other visible injuries to the rest of her body.
Jimmy Wisman
Just a butter knife.
James Petra Gallo
Choked her out. Used his hands, teeth, and a butter knife to decapitate a person.
Jimmy Wisman
Unbelievable.
James Petra Gallo
I'm not going to get too gross here, but think about. There's a corpse. Think about if someone gave you a butter knife and said, get that person's head off, you'd go, what?
Jimmy Wisman
Ain't gonna do it.
James Petra Gallo
What the fuck am I gonna do that? And they go, use your hands and teeth. How crazy would you have to be to go, oh, yeah, duh. Thanks. Sorry. That's a good idea. I didn't even think about that. That makes much more sense. So yeah, that is crazy. So so Boggs said he was told the press he was close to Johnson's. He even was a mentor to Terrell years ago, tried to help him out. He said Sherry was a really good lady, a really good mother and really loved her family. He said the family's in disbelief. So are the people. Many people around the area who knew Sherry need a holiday gift that will keep her sparkling all year long. Blue Nile, the original online jeweler has Experts on hand 247 who can help you find the perfect piece. Beyond that, Blue Nile makes the gifting experience easier than ever, with guaranteed free shipping and returns, as well as a wide assortment of jewelry of the highest quality at the best price. Right now, get 30% off jewelry@bluenile.com that's bluenile.com for 30% off bluenile.com remember when.
C
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James Petra Gallo
Also it has a wide impact on the community because the family's so well known in such a small community. He said, this is a family who stays together and looks out for one another. He's talking about his own family, by the way, which is amazing. They'd be out there having cookouts and gatherings after church each Sunday. People knew, know, and love this family. And this has impacted a lot of not only her family, but the community, her friends, and the students she had counseled in her career, too. Yeah, Ms. Johnson won't be in today because her head is on the other side of a fence.
Jimmy Wisman
And it's the most uneven. You know what I mean? The recklessness of decapitation is crazy.
James Petra Gallo
There's no attempt to. No, there's no attempt to dismount.
Jimmy Wisman
Nothing's clean.
James Petra Gallo
It's just torn chunks.
Jimmy Wisman
Things are dang.
James Petra Gallo
Jagged would be a good way to put it.
Jimmy Wisman
It's a jagged. Oh, my God.
James Petra Gallo
And he never even try to get away with it?
Jimmy Wisman
No.
James Petra Gallo
He locked the door through a body in the back. He didn't even put it. He didn't even cover it up with a tarp.
Jimmy Wisman
I mean, he just thought they'd look in the house and leave.
James Petra Gallo
I don't think he thought that he cared. I don't think he thought. I really don't. I don't think he's capable of.
Jimmy Wisman
No. Nobody locks the door and goes. They won't want to look in there. Out of sight, out of mind. No, man.
James Petra Gallo
So the autopsy says she died from blunt force trauma and that her body exhibited evidence of numerous previous assaults as well. He's been beating the shit out of his mom. While the head trauma would have caused her death, they weren't able to determine if she was dead when her head was removed, but he said she was unconscious. So I'm gonna go with him because it would be better for him to say she was dead. And he goes, I don't know. She's just unconscious. I started cutting her head off.
Jimmy Wisman
She couldn't stop it.
C
Wow.
James Petra Gallo
So he cut a live person's head off.
Jimmy Wisman
That's unbelievable.
James Petra Gallo
That's unbelievable. With a butter knife in his teeth.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah. And probably if you wait till after somebody's dead for a while, a lot of that blood is not. It's not.
James Petra Gallo
It doesn't have the force behind it.
Jimmy Wisman
Right. It's still got a pump.
James Petra Gallo
Boom. Yeah, that's why it's everywhere. It's still popping. God, everywhere. So they collected two knives, multiple bloodstains, and a comforter, which was located near the body. It was just out in the yard. It was too bloody, so he threw that out, too. It was gonna stink. The jury, they have. For the jury later on, they have DNA evidence tying him to the murders. Not that you need it.
Jimmy Wisman
You got his words.
James Petra Gallo
I mean, you got his words, and he's the only guy in the house and, you know. So, yeah, he confesses on an audio tape to killing his mother. He said he and his mother got into an argument over credit cards. He said he tried to walk away, but she kept at him.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
Tried to get away from her. She kept breaking my fucking chops.
Jimmy Wisman
You can divorce a wife. You can't do that to your mom.
James Petra Gallo
No, you can get your own fucking apartment. He said it escalated into a fight. And Boggs said. He told me that he beat her up real bad. He said he got out of hand. You think that the understatement of the.
Jimmy Wisman
Year, you sunk your teeth into your mom's neck.
James Petra Gallo
I think the understatement of the year is showing up to a headless body that's had its head chewed off and thrown over a fence and going, well, this got out of hand. That's almost sarcastic. Like, it's.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, it's almost like what would be said on fucking SVU by ice tea.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah, this got out of hand. Well, it's like a bad sitcom, like, that went well. It's one of those, like. It's a bad sitcom cliche.
Jimmy Wisman
God damn it.
James Petra Gallo
That could have gone better.
Jimmy Wisman
Why did he say that?
James Petra Gallo
So this guy said, yeah, he decapitated her with the butter knife. His words. He used his hands and teeth to decapitate his own mother. His words. Now, while being led into court to do his plea or the initial appearance, he's being led. They get him out of a police car, and they walk him across the street into the court. And there's a shitload of people there, media and stuff, trying to see what.
Jimmy Wisman
An absolute monster looks like.
James Petra Gallo
And they're asking him questions. He turns and says, quote, I plead guilty.
Jimmy Wisman
Huh?
James Petra Gallo
And then they said, could you explain? And he said, you'll have to ask my lawyer. And then he walked inside. Okay, this guy's a party. This guy's a fucking party. So his attorney now, Jim Davis, is his attorney. Isn't that the guy who draws Garfield, I believe? Yeah, I think it is. His attorney, Jim Davis, taking a week off from Garfield, feeding him lasagna. Yeah, he's feeding Terrell lasagna in court. Said his client has a history of mental health issues and is working to get all the documents from the. Because some of this shit's from the Army. That's hard to get documents. He said, quote, this is not a normal homicide.
Jimmy Wisman
No.
James Petra Gallo
You think so? I think that a lot of cries out. A lot of it kind of cries out that something is strange here. Yeah. I would say.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah. This doesn't happen. Daniel Pearl was put down much more humanely.
James Petra Gallo
Oh, my God.
Jimmy Wisman
This is crazy.
James Petra Gallo
This is insane. This is nuts.
Jimmy Wisman
That's what I mean. No, this is unbelievable.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah. If you shipped him off to some, like, terrorist camp.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
And they said, how do you take people's heads off? And he told them, they'd go, oh, God, Jesus, we're gonna have to send. You can't work here. I'm sorry. I mean, we're brutal, but you are. That's out of your pocket.
Jimmy Wisman
That's too much.
James Petra Gallo
Nobody wants. Do you want to taste? No, no one wants.
Jimmy Wisman
Why would you do that? You get it in your mouth.
James Petra Gallo
So the lawyer goes on to say, and this is funny. This is the best ellipses of all time. He goes. The allegation of decapitation is very. There's a why behind that.
Jimmy Wisman
Is that you think.
James Petra Gallo
And I think trying to determine the why is very important. And that's gonna be one of our major things to try and resolve. Yeah. How fucking crazy is this guy? He said that his client was insane when he committed the crime. And prosecutors, though, say he wasn't insane. He was under the influence of drugs and he knew exactly what he was doing.
Jimmy Wisman
What drugs was he?
James Petra Gallo
Who knows? They don't know. They're just saying it was drugs, not crazy. So his lawyer indicated that the hearing. That it was too early to say whether he'll use an insanity defense. For Johnson, if there's ever a time to use an insanity defense, I mean.
Jimmy Wisman
This is it, right?
James Petra Gallo
A guy with diagnosed mental illness who did the craziest fucking thing on earth that's ever happened. I would say this is. If ever the fucking stars are going to align to get an insanity defense, this is the case.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah. A mental health guy that documented that. Chewed through a neck.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah.
Jimmy Wisman
Chewed through a larynx. Okay.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah.
Jimmy Wisman
Through your mom's Larynx.
James Petra Gallo
Your mother? That's your mom?
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
That's crazy.
Jimmy Wisman
Jesus.
James Petra Gallo
So he said after the hearing, the lawyer said that he'll take time to acquire Johnson's hospital records. He said, I've handled numerous insanity cases and he said he'd won one or two. But he said, trust me, jurors don't like him. Don't like them. So you better have a very strong case if you go bring that to a jury. And that's true. Jurors reject that shit no matter how crazy you are.
Jimmy Wisman
I think this one's a slam shop.
James Petra Gallo
He said the decapitation concerns him the most, though. He said, yeah, I think there's a why behind that and I think we need to determine it again. So Sherry's friend said this. She said she came to the hearing to support the family. She said, I mean, a young life gone from such a positive person that had such an impact on kids. And our families and our community were praying for his family, praying for the community, praying for Hattiesburg High. And I just hope that justice will be served. Go Mustangs. Yeah, go Wildcats.
Jimmy Wisman
Whatever the fuck they are.
James Petra Gallo
Probably the Wildcats. That's what everybody. Yeah, either that or like the Jeff Davis's or some fucking Confederate shit. The Stonewall Jacksons. So his dad shows up at court.
Jimmy Wisman
Really?
James Petra Gallo
The good Reverend Rob Harris shows up at court now.
Jimmy Wisman
He shows up now.
James Petra Gallo
He shows up. Where were you?
Jimmy Wisman
You're a bit late.
James Petra Gallo
Where were you during the chewing, sir? And he said he didn't want to comment on the case. He recently retired as the head maintenance man for Stone county, the whole county. And is a Baptist minister there. They're talking about now while they lead our guy out of court here. They're trying to get him to say something. He passes the Sun Herald and the TV cameras and he turns to them and he says, I've done it. And then keeps going. So you put those together. I plead guilty. I've done it. So he's saying that. Funny thing is, he might get his mom's insurance money still.
Jimmy Wisman
What?
James Petra Gallo
Okay. He could receive $150,000 of her life insurance policy and inherit her estate as well. One of her brothers had been named as the administrator of her estate, which is being probated in Stone County. And the judge will decide how the insurance and estate money should be distributed only after Terrell Johnson's mental competency to stand trial is determined. Yeah, they said if he's crazy, he could get it all. If he's not convicted of a violent crime, if it's you know, not guilty by reason of.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, yeah.
James Petra Gallo
So they said Sherry didn't have a will. Terrell was the only beneficiary listed on the 51 year old's high school guidance counselors life insurance policy. Alpha Life Insurance Core has deposited the payout from her policy with the court until a rifle beneficiary is established. Money from the sale of her cars and house which is being repaired will also be painted, I hope will be deposited into an estate account as well. They said unless Johnson willfully killed his mother, willfully being the main word, he could under state law inherit her estate and be awarded the proceeds of insurance insanity if that ends up happening here. They said his lawyer said that the court records, said in court records that Johnson does not object to money being held in trust until the murder is resolved. So it's fine that that's good. So it's going to be held in a trust here. In addition to representing Johnson in a criminal case, Davis is also serving as his guardian in the estate case. Like because he can't do shit on his own here. So wow. Said if Johnson's convicted of first degree murder, he will not collect the money because the charge involves a willful or premeditated killing. However, an insanity defense or a guilty plea or a conviction or guilty plea to manslaughter means under state law that the killing was not willful and he could collect the money, even manslaughter, they said. Though the lawyer said we haven't settled on a defense. Were still in the early stages, but there are a lot of mental health records in this case that would make it a very easy to establish lack of mental capacity case and that could lead to a finding of not guilty or manslaughter. And he said that delusional history dates to his early days in the military. He's had these problems and that was documented by the military.
Jimmy Wisman
It's very obvious.
James Petra Gallo
So they have a psychiatrist. They put him in front of here. She's a psychiatrist, Sara deland from New Orleans. And part of her report is regarding his competency to proceed. It's my opinion with reasonable medical certainty that due to his mental illness, Mr. Johnson does not have the ability to perceive or to understand the nature of the proceedings, to communicate rationally with his attorney. Rationally would be the word there, ME to recall relevant facts and to testify in his own defense. His thought disorganization prevents him for being able to testify relevantly or be cross examined. He cannot focus on the topic and he has problems with his perception of reality. Yeah. It is my recommendation to the court that Mr. Johnson be found not competent to proceed and be hospitalized for inpatient competency restoration. Fix him up till we can try him. Yeah. But this happens. That was in 2019. Nothing happens with all of this. I guess they're going through all the mental shit to find him competent finally. Till 2024. This year.
Jimmy Wisman
This year.
James Petra Gallo
August, as a matter of fact.
Jimmy Wisman
Five years to get him straight.
James Petra Gallo
Just a couple months ago.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
So at trial. They're going to go to trial with this.
Jimmy Wisman
Wow.
James Petra Gallo
The judge warned the Johnson family before testimony started they shouldn't gasp or otherwise display their emotions in front of the jury. Said this is a very emotional and difficult case and testimony to hear. So if you can't hear it just the out you gotta go. So his attorney here. This is Terrell's attorney. Again argued as a client should be acquitted because he didn't know what the fuck he was doing when he killed his mother. The prosecutors disagree. One prosecutor said the defendant knew what he was doing on this day when he killed his mother. He knew it. And said they were going to show the jury Terrell statements to deputies where he confessed to killing his mother. Said the defendant and his mother got into an argument over credit card. The defendant then admitted to assaulting and choking his mother in her bedroom and killing her. The jury heard will hear how the defendant described using a knife and his teeth to remove his mother's head from her body. The defense said his state of mind when he committed the murder was what mattered. Not how he behaved. Days later told the juror that he has a serious mental condition. Fucking three of them as a matter of fact. He said he's clearly delusional in his thought process. The prosecutor then presented one of his uncles, one of his mom's brothers. And he said he called law enforcement for the welfare check. They have a battle of the shrinks because the defense psychiatrist said he's out of his fucking mind. And the state psychiatrist said he gets it. We think he understands what's popping off here.
Jimmy Wisman
Wow.
James Petra Gallo
Which is pretty remarkable. I don't know.
Jimmy Wisman
That's a ballsy thing to say.
James Petra Gallo
I would fucking say so.
Jimmy Wisman
I don't think there's anybody capable of.
James Petra Gallo
Doing what he did that is even remotely sane. Yeah.
Jimmy Wisman
Buys their own groceries.
James Petra Gallo
Unless they were on like a 12 day meth binge.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
That'd be the. And that's. I don't think you're very sane after a 12 day meth binge. No, no, no. You know, no sleep.
Jimmy Wisman
You've murked a shitload of brain cells.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah, you're fucking messing everything up. Now the verdict comes in. There's 18 minutes of deliberation, which doesn't seem like a lot.
Jimmy Wisman
That's the fastest ever.
James Petra Gallo
That seems like one vote. And they go, oh, we're all in agreement. Great. All right, let's get out of here then. Call that guy back in, tell him we got it. Oh, he's taking a piss. All right, we gotta wait because it was 12 minutes. We agreed on it. We gotta wait for him to get back from pissing and grabbing a smoke.
Jimmy Wisman
Outside, let him wash his hands.
James Petra Gallo
So after 20 minutes of deliberation, they find him guilty of first degree murder.
Jimmy Wisman
Everything.
James Petra Gallo
I don't think this guy could premeditate a shit, never mind this murder, you know what I'm saying?
Jimmy Wisman
I mean, I think, yeah, he couldn't.
James Petra Gallo
Premeditate a ham sandwich, this guy.
Jimmy Wisman
I think that they're doing the old. How long does it take to premeditate? You know what I mean?
James Petra Gallo
Yeah.
Jimmy Wisman
If the second he grabbed that, well.
James Petra Gallo
Then every murder is premeditated then.
Jimmy Wisman
But I think that's what they're doing here.
James Petra Gallo
That's wild.
Jimmy Wisman
They got a set of premeditation.
James Petra Gallo
There's no planning to this.
Jimmy Wisman
No. But the second you pick up a knife in a way of, you know what, he choked her out. He had time to stop there.
James Petra Gallo
I guess he was still alive.
Jimmy Wisman
It was the killing overt act that.
James Petra Gallo
With, with it was he's just so aggressive.
Jimmy Wisman
Intention to kill.
James Petra Gallo
He had no way to assume that second degree though.
Jimmy Wisman
You think so?
James Petra Gallo
Yeah, no intention of an argument that escalated into a murder. Second degree, that's not a premeditated crime. I don't know.
Jimmy Wisman
But the way he killed her, I could see that if you like slap somebody and they fall down, hit their head.
James Petra Gallo
No, no. Second degree is like, like actual murder. Oh yes, I could agree. Z malice is involved in it. Yeah. Because that's what takes it from not manslaughter to murder is mal. Like it's the Sara Boone case that we just watched. Yeah, that case. She got found guilty of second degree murder.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
And she zipped a guy up and went away. That was way more premeditated than this. And they said that just it was, it happened. But the way she was talking to him and everything, there was malice behind it. She intended him harm. So this first degree, like I said, if this guy is in the middle of making a ham sandwich, I think he goes, oh shit, I'm making a sandwich. I don't even. I don't even think he remembers. Like, it's bad.
Jimmy Wisman
So he doesn't premeditate what goes on it?
James Petra Gallo
No, he didn't premeditate mayonnaise, this man. Never mind murder. So the sentencing comes around here and wow. I mean, what do you do with this guy at this point?
Jimmy Wisman
Hospital forever?
James Petra Gallo
Well, not quite. You, sir, may fuck off. Life without parole, just prison forever. How many?
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah.
James Petra Gallo
Unless they keep him in a war.
Jimmy Wisman
You can't ignore him forever.
James Petra Gallo
You can't not medicate this guy. You can't just let him roam around with people. He's gonna be eating people's face.
Jimmy Wisman
Wander around in sweatpants amongst to him.
James Petra Gallo
Teeth are a weapon.
Jimmy Wisman
Yeah, yeah.
James Petra Gallo
He broke a knife shank.
Jimmy Wisman
He just smuggled 30 of them in this motherfucker.
James Petra Gallo
He will saw your head off. I don't remember, but enough to bite your face off.
Jimmy Wisman
It's a lot.
James Petra Gallo
32, 28, something like that, so. Wow. The DA says we commend the Stone county jury for seeing through the defendant's insanity argument. Yeah, they're acting like he's not insane, right? I don't care.
Jimmy Wisman
Lingering this son of a bitch.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah. Psychiatrist, layperson, anybody can hear anything. Just hear what I just told you.
Jimmy Wisman
He Ozzy Osbourne ed his mom.
James Petra Gallo
That's it.
Jimmy Wisman
He bit her head.
James Petra Gallo
Off you go. That's crazy.
Jimmy Wisman
Malingering.
James Petra Gallo
Yeah. Wow.
Jimmy Wisman
He's faking it for special treatment.
James Petra Gallo
And he's really to me, you know. What if he's faking it? He hit it out of the park, man. Oh, my goodness. He faked it to the back row.
Jimmy Wisman
That is the old twist, faking it till you make it.
James Petra Gallo
Holy shit.
Jimmy Wisman
Jesus.
James Petra Gallo
They say, as ADA Burrell told the jury in closing arguments, this defendant got high, got mad at his mom and killed. It's that simple.
Jimmy Wisman
No, it's not.
James Petra Gallo
It's not that simple.
Jimmy Wisman
He had her blood in his mouth.
James Petra Gallo
A lot of it.
Jimmy Wisman
Shucks.
James Petra Gallo
He had her viscera sucking flesh in her mouth.
Jimmy Wisman
Oh. He bit every vein in her neck through.
James Petra Gallo
Imagine he had to get sprayed. Hardcore flashed. Holy shit. They said, we know that this trial has been painful for the family and are hopeful that the closure of the criminal case can help in the healing process. How? No, you can't. Nothing's gonna help in the healing process that doesn't heal. No, it's a fucking head missing. So anyway, there you go. There's Wiggins, Mississippi. One of the craziest goddamn cases we've ever talked about, I think.
Jimmy Wisman
Unbelievable.
James Petra Gallo
That is wild stuff. So, yeah, he did that and he is. He's life without. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know what they're doing with him in there. Like I said, I don't know if he's in solitary, if he's being isolated in a. In like the whatever, or if he's in the mental health unit. I'm not sure.
Jimmy Wisman
He's certainly wigging out. James. Fucking hell.
James Petra Gallo
Wow.
Jimmy Wisman
This place is a nightmare.
James Petra Gallo
That was the first one they popped in.
Jimmy Wisman
I'm never coming back.
James Petra Gallo
I love it. So, yeah, there you go. Don't stay out of wiggins, I guess, because this place is crazy.
Jimmy Wisman
It's a mess.
James Petra Gallo
They all know each other and it's fucking insane. So if you like that episode, they.
Jimmy Wisman
All know each other and they still fuck each other.
James Petra Gallo
Still fuck each other.
Jimmy Wisman
Stay out.
James Petra Gallo
Stay out of there. It's no good. Barbecue probably is good, but outside of that, you can leave. So do that. Head over to Shut up and give me murder.com. also leave review on whatever app you're listening on. Shut up and give me murder.com. get your tickets for live shows. Austin, Texas, you're up left. Not that many tickets left. So get in there because it's going to sell out before the show for sure. And we have Phoenix sold out the next night. Fucking amazing. And then Boston almost sold out, too. And New York. We're releasing the rest of the tickets. I think we just did. They should be released. So if you've been looking.
Jimmy Wisman
That's the last of them.
James Petra Gallo
If you've been looking for Terry Town, those are the ones that we have. There's no more left after this. So, yeah, get them right now. Because it was like just a few dozen released. That was it. So get in there right now. Get your tickets. Also tickets for the virtual live show, which is still available if you're listening, anytime before November 13th was November 13th, 2024, you can get it. It's available for two weeks after the October 30th air date. And it is fucking hilarious.
Jimmy Wisman
Terrific.
James Petra Gallo
A story almost as crazy as this, by the way. It really is. You're going to.
Jimmy Wisman
Those two. Back to back is too much.
James Petra Gallo
It's too much. Yeah. We've really had a lot going on with this week here, so definitely check that out. Shut up and give me murder.com patreon.com crime and sports. What happens there?
Jimmy Wisman
Oh, it's. It's all the Patreon.
James Petra Gallo
All the bonus stuff happens. Yeah, you can get anybody $5 a month or above. You get everything. You get a whole Big back catalog, hundreds of episodes. You've never heard. You get new stuff every other week. One crime in sports, one small town murder and we give you all of it for five bucks.
Jimmy Wisman
We're wiggin out.
James Petra Gallo
I'm telling you, it's too much. We're biting heads off everybody. We're crazy. It's an insane fucking offer here. So for crime and sports this week we're gonna talk about pedestrianism, which isn't what it sounds like. It was the most popular sport going in the 1800s and it actually had performance enhancing drugs. Guys were getting coked out and fucking.
Jimmy Wisman
We gotta find the hall of fame.
James Petra Gallo
Big mustaches and shit. It's wild stuff from the 1800s. Old timey insanity. Then for small town murder, we're gonna talk about that documentary the Devil on Trial, which is about. That's part of it. It's an exorcism thing where they tried to exorcise this child. And then later on he had a. His defense in court was that he was possessed by a demon. So he's not guilty. If this guy who chewed his mom's head off and is really crazy if he's not. If he's guilty, demon boy's guilty too. We'll also talk about just some exorcisms things because it's. I find that shit fascinating. So we'll talk all about that patreon.com crime and sports. And you get a shout out at the end of the show that said also listen to crime and sports. Listen to your stupid opinions because that shit was banging too this week. So keep coming back, keep hanging out with us every goddamn week. And until next week, everybody. Hey, it's been our pleasure. If you like small town murder, you can listen early and ad free now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcast Prime. Members can listen early and ad free on Amazon Music. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey@wondery.com survey.
Jimmy Wisman
Dracula, the ancient vampire who terrorizes Victorian London. Blood and garlic, bats and crucifixes. Even if you haven't read the book, you think you know the story. One of the incredible things about Dracula is that not only is it this wonderful snapshot of the 19th century, but it also has so much resonance today. The vampire doesn't cast a reflection in a mirror, so when we look in the mirror, the only thing we see is our own monstrous abilities. From the host and producer of American History Tellers and History Daily comes the new podcast, the Real History of Dracula. We'll reveal how author Bram Stoker rated ancient folklore, exploited Victorian fears around sex, science and religion, and how even today, we remain enthralled to his strange creatures of the night. You can binge all episodes of the Real History of Dracula exclusively with Wondery plus. Join Wondery plus and the Wonder App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
Small Town Murder: Episode #542 - "Biting Off More... - Wiggins, Mississippi"
Hosts: James Pietragallo & Jimmie Whisman
Overview
In Episode #542 of "Small Town Murder," comedians and hosts James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman delve deep into a harrowing and gruesome murder case from the small town of Wiggins, Mississippi. This episode, titled "Biting Off More...," explores the intricate dynamics of a community tightly knit by family ties and the tragic unraveling of one individual's severe mental health struggles leading to an unimaginable crime.
Historical Context & Demographics
Location & Population: Wiggins is situated in Stone County, Mississippi, nestled between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana. With an area code of 601, the town boasts a population of approximately 4,282 residents.
Economic Indicators:
Founding & Development:
Notable Historical Events:
American Pickle and Canning Company: Founded in 1912, this establishment became a cornerstone of the local economy until it was burned down in 1913.
Community Attractions: Despite its small size, Wiggins hosts events like the Mississippi Music, Food, and Trail Ride Festival, anticipated to draw nearly 10,000 visitors, showcasing the town's cultural vibrancy.
Quote:
James [06:09]: "It's right in between these two places. It's about five hours to our last Mississippi case which was in Horn Lake and that was called burning your bff. Oh boy, that was wild stuff there."
Early Life & Background
Birth & Family: Born in 1989 to Reverend Rob Harris, a respected Baptist minister, and Sherry Johnson, a dedicated school counselor. Terrell is the only child in an unmarried partnership, growing up in a household where his mother’s siblings also reside nearby, fostering a multi-generational family environment.
Education & Military Service:
Mental Health Struggles
Diagnoses:
Behavioral Issues:
Interactions with Law Enforcement:
Notable Quotes:
Jimmy [17:08]: "If someone's schizophrenic, who's seeing shit, and then they're psychotic also."
James [20:57]: "He didn't want it to stink up the house, man."
Timeline of Events
June 3-6, 2018: Sherry Johnson, Terrell's mother, went missing, prompting her brother to request a welfare check. Upon arrival at the Johnson household, law enforcement discovered a scene of extreme violence.
Discovery:
Murder Details:
Notable Quotes:
James [50:46]: "He used his hands and teeth to decapitate a person."
Jimmy [51:00]: "He bit her head off."
Trial Dynamics
Competency Evaluation:
Defense Strategy:
Prosecution's Stance:
Jury Deliberation and Verdict
Notable Quotes:
James [57:37]: "He used his hands and teeth to decapitate his own mother."
Jimmy [62:36]: "If ever the fucking stars are going to align to get an insanity defense, this is the case."
Sentence
Outcome: Life without parole was handed down to Terrell Johnson, ensuring he remains incarcerated indefinitely.
Estate Implications:
Community and Family Impact
Community Reaction: The residents of Wiggins are left in shock and disbelief, grappling with the brutality of the crime within their small community.
Family Dynamics:
Support Systems: Sherry's role as a school counselor and her active participation in the church underscored the magnitude of her loss to the community.
Notable Quotes:
James [73:01]: "He used his hands and teeth to decapitate his own mother."
Jimmy [73:24]: "He bit her head."
Hosts' Perspectives
James: Reflects on the unnerving nature of the case, emphasizing the interplay between mental health and violent crime within a tightly-knit community.
Jimmie: Continues to express disbelief and horror at the brutality of the crime, highlighting the challenges in addressing mental health issues effectively within small towns.
Notable Dialogues:
Jimmy [72:52]: "He bit her head."
James [73:16]: "We have to beat them to death if you want. It's easier just to avoid them."
Systemic Failures
Mental Health Services: The episode underscores significant shortcomings in mental health support and the criminal justice system's ability to manage individuals with severe psychiatric disorders.
Law Enforcement Challenges: The close-knit nature of Wiggins' population led to conflicts of interest and inadequate handling of Terrell's mental health needs, ultimately contributing to the tragic outcome.
Ethical Considerations
Insanity Defense: The case brings to light the complexities and controversies surrounding the use of the insanity defense in court, especially in cases involving extreme violence.
Beneficiary Implications: Terrell’s potential inheritance from his mother’s life insurance policy raises ethical questions about asset distribution following familial violence.
Conclusion
Episode #542 of "Small Town Murder" offers a chilling examination of one of Wiggins, Mississippi's most disturbing crimes. Through meticulous research and candid discussions, hosts James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman unravel the layers of a case marked by severe mental health struggles, community entanglement, and a brutal act of violence. This episode serves as a poignant reminder of the critical need for effective mental health interventions and the profound impacts their absence can have within close-knit communities.
Notable Final Quote:
James [74:40]: "This place is crazy. So, yeah, there you go. Don't stay out of Wiggins, I guess, because this place is crazy."
Notable Quotes with Timestamps:
[06:09] James: "It's right in between these two places. It's about five hours to our last Mississippi case which was in Horn Lake and that was called burning your bff. Oh boy, that was wild stuff there."
[15:12] Jimmy: "Cleanthony and it looks like Cleanthony."
[20:57] James: "He didn't want it to stink up the house, man."
[50:46] James: "He used his hands and teeth to decapitate a person."
[51:00] Jimmy: "He bit her head off."
[57:37] Jimmy: "He bit her head."
[62:36] Jimmy: "If ever the fucking stars are going to align to get an insanity defense, this is the case."
[73:16] Jimmy: "He bit her head."
Final Notes
The tragic case of Terrell Johnson and Sherry Johnson in Wiggins, Mississippi, as explored in this episode, highlights the intersection of mental health, community dynamics, and the criminal justice system. It serves as a stark illustration of how systemic failures and inadequate mental health support can culminate in irreversible loss and community trauma. Hosts James and Jimmie provide both an in-depth analysis and a sobering reflection on the complexities inherent in such cases.
For more detailed discussions, visit Shut Up and Give Me Murder, and explore additional content through their Patreon at patreon.com/crimeandsports.