My Father's Story by Eric Johnson
Believe what you may, but My Father’s Story: The Murder of the Best Man I’ve Ever Known by Eric Johnson is not a murder mystery. There’s really no mystery at all. In this true account, Angelee Ross killed her on-again, off-again lover Bill Johnson, father of the author. But the circumstances of that crime, what led up to it, how it unfolded, and the killer’s frame of mind at the time are scrutinized in great detail in this book, which the author has written as a tribute to his “best friend” — and perhaps as a therapeutic means to help put the matter to bed in his own mind, if such a thing is possible.
“When we are in love, we often overlook the flaws and imperfections of our partners and sometimes even ignore red flags that should have been warning signs,” writes Eric Johnson. “We become so consumed by our emotions that we lose sight of reality.” And the reality, in this case, is that the woman Eric’s dad fell in love with was the reason for his death.
We talked to Johnson about his experience telling such a raw, personal story, and an inside look into the complexities of the US legal system — including when it gets in the way of emotional closure.
Q: Why did you write this book?
A: I decided to write the book for two reasons. The first, to help me on my own healing journey and retaining all the information from the court hearings. As you could imagine, being in the courtroom was a bit of a blur for me. The second, to help give my family and father’s friends some closure and answer their questions. Due to the COVID restrictions in the courts, we could only have a limited number of people in the courtroom gallery.
Q: What were your thoughts and emotions as you learned about Angelee and eventually learned the news of the crime she committed?
A: It’s hard to capture all my thoughts and emotions because there were so many, especially as the hearings went on and more information became available to us. I thought a lot about how she killed my father’s amazing dog, Xena, and even her own dog. How could a human harm two animals like that? I would say one continuous emotion was an overwhelming sadness because he was not only my father, but my best friend as well. I remember the first week after he was murdered the sadness felt like a very heavy weighted blanket, I was wearing all the time.
Q: What was the most difficult part of writing the book?
A: The most difficult part of the book by far was going through the testimony again. Some of it was hard to re-live. Chapter 18: Detective Trooper 1 and Chapter 24: Medical Examiner 1 were by far the hardest. After Detective Trooper 1 got off the witness stand, the trooper approached me on their way out of the courtroom. As I was sitting, they reached out and grabbed my shoulder and we both began to tear up. That was a moment that really showed me how affected everyone involved in the case was. Chapter 24 was hard because it was all about the wounds my father sustained.
Q: Why did you choose to write it in a format that basically takes readers step by step through the trial?
A: My education is in Criminal Justice and Homeland Security. I have spent my career in the private security, emergency management, and business continuity fields. Having completed around 800 investigation reports in my career, it just made sense to approach writing the book in a step-by-step manner that I would have written my reports.
Q: Do you have any lessons, or words of wisdom, you would like to pass on to readers?
A: There were so many lessons that came out of all of this it would be hard to force or do them justice in 120 words. The biggest lessons that came out of this will actually be the topics of my second book. Stay Tuned! So, for now I’ll just pass on these: Follow your dreams but also remember even your dreams have consequences. Work hard, suit-up and show up, and strive to be a true gentleman(woman). Cherish the little things.
Q: What are your feelings now about the whole matter, now that things seemed to be resolved?
A: SPOILER ALERT AHEAD! Due to the legal/mental health system in the United States there will arguably be no resolve to my father’s case since his killer was found not guilty by reason of insanity. His killer’s rights are to a hearing every single year to see: how her treatment is going, if she should be moved to a different hospital, or eventually even the possibility of release. In the most recent hearing, her attorney has requested she be downgraded to a less secure hospital. All my sources in law enforcement assure me, she will never be released from the mental health system. So, we will continue to have these yearly hearings for the duration of her life and see what happens.
About Eric Johnson:
Eric Johnson is a security professional from Michigan. Eric graduated with high honors from Madonna University and holds over 20 professional certifications. He has worked in several security command centers and as an emergency manager for a large mortgage company. Outside of his career, he is a devoted family man and friend. With a zest for life, he enjoys working on cars, going on road trips, writing and playing music, concerts, watching movies and podcasts, and is an avid foodie.
