Maryland woman sentenced to 50 years after her young niece and nephew’s remains found in trunk

A Maryland woman was sentenced to 50 years in prison after the decomposing remains of her niece and nephew were discovered in the trunk of her car during a 2021 traffic stop, according to the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Suspect Nicole Johnson of Maryland pleads guilty

Nicole Johnson, 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree child abuse resulting in ddeath.

On Feb. 10, Baltimore County Circuit Judge Nancy Purpura handed down the sentence, suspending a life term and imposing 50 years of active incarceration, reports CBS News.

Nicole Johnson of Maryland abused children, says prosecutors

The case began on July 28, 2021, when Baltimore County police pulled Johnson over in Essex for driving an unregistered, uninsured vehicle with a fake West Virginia tag. Officers preparing to tow the car noticed a strong odor of decomposition and saw maggots inside a bag in the trunk.

Upon further inspection, police found the remains of 7-year-old Joshlyn Johnson inside a suitcase and 5-year-old Larry O’Neal in a plastic tote. Investigators later determined the children had been dead for months, possibly longer. Johnson had been entrusted with their care in 2019 after their mother, her sister, was unable to do so.

You can watch the body camera footage on YouTube.

Charging documents revealed Johnson admitted to striking Joshlyn in May 2020, causing the child to fall and hit her head. She placed the girl’s body in a suitcase and kept it in her car. Two months before the traffic stop, Larry reportedly suffered an injury and never regained consciousness. His body was placed in a bag alongside his sister’s.

Children’s mother attempted to get them back

The children’s mother, Dachelle Johnson, had attempted to retrieve them but was unable to locate her sister. In a previous statement, she said she trusted Nicole during a difficult time and never imagined such a tragedy would unfold.

Johnson will serve her sentence at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.