The Murder of Judy Johnson

June 11, 2026 · 1h 27m

About this episode

The episode explores the wrongful conviction of Clarence Elkins for the murder of Judy Johnson, as investigated by her daughter Melinda.

In 1998, 6 year old Brooke Sutton survived a brutal attack that left her grandmother, Judy Johnson, dead. When Brooke identified her Uncle Clarence as the attacker, police quickly built their case around him, and despite a complete lack of physical evidence, he was convicted and sent to prison for life. But one person refused to believe the verdict: Judy's daughter, Melinda. As appeals failed and the justice system closed ranks, she launched her own investigation, following leads police ignored and uncovering shocking twists that would transform the case into one of the most extraordinary wrongful conviction stories in American history. Sources: Conviction: The True Story of Clarence Elkins | YouTube Wrongfully Convicted Man...|True Crime News | YouTube Shocking: 6-Year-Old's Eyewitness Account Convicts Innocent Man | Murder She Solved | Real Crime | YouTube Forensic Files - Season 12, Episode 19 - All Butt Certain - Full Episode Dateline NBC 2016 Clarence Elkins Crime Shadow of a Doubt: The Clarence Elkins Story – Crime Library Criminal: Melinda and Clarence | WUNC News Sponsors: 🖤 Whisker / Litter-RobotGet $50 off bundles with code CREEPERS at whisker.com/CREEPERS 💪…