From Deseret News archives:
Teen's killer sentenced
Scott Mosier got a chance to speak in court Tuesday at the sentencing of Terry Louis Johnson, who was convicted in June of killing Christopher. Johnson was scheduled to be sentenced Monday, but refused to emerge from the holding cell just outside the courtroom unless he could be unshackled, wear a suit and not stand next to his lawyers.
Third District Judge William Barrett reset the sentencing for Tuesday to avoid a scene in court.
But there were no fireworks Tuesday and Johnson walked in just like any other convicted felon — clad in a jail jumpsuit, shackles on his legs, handcuffs on his wrists and standing near the two public defenders who represented him.
"My life changed forever on Dec. 30, 1993," Scott Mosier told the judge, referring to the day his ex-wife, Sylvia, returned from work to find their son in a pool of blood with more than 20 stab wounds.
"The past 10 1/2 years have been a very tough emotional roller coaster culminating in yesterday's cowardly act of Mr. Johnson not coming into the courtroom," Mosier said. "The game-playing is over. I will never spend another day with my son — Terry Johnson made sure of that."
The judge sentenced Johnson to five years to life in prison for the first-degree felony murder conviction. "It's a tragedy because I think we lose two lives, we lose Christopher's and, I think, yours too," Barrett said. "It doesn't make me happy, but that's the way things are."
Johnson told the court he wanted to offer condolences to the Mosier family for the loss of Christopher, but insisted he was innocent of the crime. "I've never killed anyone, certainly not Christopher Mosier," Johnson said.
He added he was "confident and faithful" that justice would ultimately be served, not only for the 14-year-old boy but also himself and the community when the real killer is found.
Johnson plans to appeal his conviction.
Speaking on behalf of Johnson's mother, Lida, family friend Earnest Blossom also offered sympathies to the Mosier family.
The Rev. France Davis also said he extended empathy to the family of the slain boy and called this a time for healing.
Outside the courtroom, Scott Mosier said the sentencing was anticlimactic although necessary.
"It finally felt good for me to get the opportunity to tell Mr. Johnson — although he tried to avoid eye contact with me — what he had done to my family and how he has destroyed our lives."
He particularly thanked Sgt. Jerry Townsend and detective Todd Park of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office for revisiting the "cold case" and comforting his family with a resolution.
Johnson told police he picked up his infant son from Christopher, who was baby-sitting on Dec. 30, 1993, and that the teenager was alive and well at the time. But prosecutors said only Johnson had the time and the motive to kill Christopher, and improved DNA testing showed Christopher's blood on a baby blanket that was in Johnson's possession.
E-mail: lindat@desnews.com
