Mom Killed Her Toddler, Claiming SpongeBob Told Her To Do It

Justine Johnson, a Michigan mother, killed her 3-year-old daughter, Sutton Mosser, after she claims cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants told her if she didn’t murder her child, he could end her life, New York Post reported. The 22-year-old woman stabbed Sutton multiple times and stuffed her bag into a black trash bag.

Johnson told law enforcement she was withdrawing from heroin and hadn’t slept in almost two weeks. The combination of drug withdraw and insomnia caused hallucinations that led to her daughter’s murder.

Johnson Murdered Her Daughter

Ryan Eberline, a Child Protective Service investigator, testified the day of the child’s murder (September 16), Johnson left her mother’s home (where she was living) and passed out in a graveyard. She returned to her mother’s house, intending to kill herself. Instead, she stabbed her precious daughter to death.

“She told me that she didn’t remember the specifics of what happened at the time of what happened to Sutton, that she was experiencing hallucinations due to heroin withdrawal and not sleeping for approximately two weeks,” Eberline said. “She was getting hallucinations from the TV that had instructed her to take her daughter’s life or they would kill her.

“It was SpongeBob who was saying these things on the TV,” Eberline continued. “If she didn’t do what she did to her daughter, they would kill her. She said she was afraid for her life and she had lost her mind.”

Johnson cried as Eberline testified in court. She seemed to regret her actions. But that doesn’t change the fact she murdered her innocent child.

Her Brothers Testify In Court

Prosecution called her brother, Knesley, about his sister’s state of mind on the day of the murder. He noticed nothing was wrong until he returned home from work. He went looking for his niece and sister, and made a grim discovery at the back of the house.

That’s when he noticed the black trash bag with a human foot sticking outside the sack. Knesley found Johnson in her room. He testified she appeared to be under the influence of drugs. Although, he could say for certain. She rushed to exit the house to avoid questions, returning shortly after (when no one was home), hoping to escape any interrogations from her family about the discovery of her daughter’s body.

Johnson’s 17-year-old brother (not named because of his age) alongside Knesley approached the black bag to confirm their suspicion. Sure enough, they discovered their niece’s lifeless body in the bag. Unsure what to do, they called their uncle for guidance.

Police Discover Sutton’s Body

Police officer Gerald Soboleski responded to the house shortly after they called for help.

“Knesley started telling me about how he came home from work on this day and looked throughout the house for his sister and niece and was unable to locate them,” the officer testified Friday. “At that point, he said, ‘And then we found this,’ referring to what we later found was the human foot.”

The officer testified he went to a back room of the house, where he found a blue tote bag with two garbage bags stacked on top with a human foot exposed.

“I felt the bottom of the child’s foot. It was cold to the touch, and EMS was called to the scene.”

The Horrible Crime Scene Details

According to ABC, Johnson wrapped Sutton’s body in a comforter inside the bag, along with bloody clothing. They found three knives in the room. Investigators found blood in the hallway closet door, living room couches, and several undisclosed items in Johnson’s bedroom. The medical examiner concluded Sutton was likely killed inside the home.

The three-year-old had stab wounds on her neck, chest, and abdomen — one wound exposed part of her small intestine. The judge ordered Johnson to remain in custody without bail. She has been in jail since September 16.

Johnson’s next hearing date is February 28. Prosecution expects the defense to plead guilty. She is facing first-degree child abuse and felony murder charges.

“My heart goes out to the family who’s here,” the judge said to Johnson at the hearing. “Good luck to you, Justine, as your case proceeds.”

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Originally posted on Medium.