Man sentenced in ’97 killing

A 39-year-old man received a 25-years-to-life prison term for the killing of a woman more than a decade ago and the sexual assault of a then-high school-aged girl.

The defendant, Jerry Johnson, had previously entered an Alford plea to one count of murder and one count of attempted sexual assault. An Alford plea is not an admission of guilt but acknowledges authorities have enough evidence to gain a conviction.

Johnson, who appeared in court in a wheelchair because he was shot and paralyzed, declined to speak in his own behalf.

During the sentencing hearing, county prosecutor Thomas Moreo said DNA evidence led to Johnson's arrest. In January 1997, 40-year-old Dianne Vitt was found naked from the waist down stabbed more than 20 times in Las Vegas.

In October 1999, a high school student was beaten and sexually assaulted at gunpoint while waiting at a school bus stop in Las Vegas, authorities said.

In 2002, Johnson was convicted of robbing two women and sentenced to 12 months to 36 months. Authorities took a DNA sample from Johnson when he was released from prison in 2004 and entered it into a DNA database.

His DNA matched semen samples taken from the Vitt crime scene and the sexual assault victim, Moreo said.

The prosecutor called Johnson a serial offender who should receive the maximum sentence.

Johnson's attorney, special public defender Charles Cano, said Johnson had a difficult upbringing. Johnson entered the foster care system at age 4 and seven years later joined a gang, Cano said, adding that Johnson became a methamphetamine user.

After Johnson got out of jail in 2004, he was shot and paralyzed from the chest down, Cano said. He said Johnson considered the shooting "karmic payback."

Contact reporter David Kihara at dkihara@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-1039.