Dale Johnston
Dale Johnston grew up in central Ohio. After high school he joined the Air Force during the latter stages of the Korean War. Upon completion of his tour of duty, he returned to central Ohio, just south of Columbus, where he worked as an auto mechanic.
He soon moved to Xenia, near Dayton, Ohio. Because his whole family had worked in construction, it was only natural for him to make a career change. After 20 years in construction, Dale took an early retirement and moved just south of Logan, in the picturesque Hocking Hills of southern Ohio. While in Greene County, he became involved with the County 4-H program. He raised horses and became a 4-H leader, teaching horsemanship and care for horses and equipment.
On or about October 4, 1982, Dale’s daughter and her boyfriend were murdered and their bodies dismembered, with parts buried in a cornfield just outside of Logan. Other remains were dumped in the Hocking River.
From the start, Dale was the only person the police considered as a suspect. He knew the police were doing everything they could to target him, but he was powerless to stop them. Dale wrote to the Ohio Attorney General asking him to take over the investigation of his daughter’s death. But his request was refused because Hocking County was the venue for the investigation and had power over the case.
Numerous violations of Dale’s rights occurred during the investigation and trial. Still, he was sentenced to death in 1984. He believes the state expected his attorneys to abandon him once his initial trial was over. But they stood by him, promising that they would eventually win his exoneration.
“I never thought I would be convicted of a crime I did not do,” he says. “I was sure once all the evidence had been presented, it would be clear that I was innocent and could then get back home and the police would get on with the investigation of the kids’ deaths. I could not believe my ears when the judges said ‘Guilty’. Even with all the rule violations, the phony evidence and the prosecutorial misconduct, there was nothing presented to gain a conviction.”
He remained on Ohio’s death row for more than five years and was incarcerated for more than seven years.
Dale’s conviction was overturned in 1988 by the Ohio Supreme Court because the prosecution withheld exculpatory evidence from the defense, and because one witness had been hypnotized. The state later dropped all charges against him. He was released in 1990.
Today, Dale lives near Columbus with his wife, Roberta, and they are very
active in their religious community. As a member of Witness to Innocence, he
speaks about the death penalty when the opportunity presents itself.