Sophia Mason died of harassment, abuse, lived in a warehouse: police

Sophia Mason has been living in a barn during her final days, according to a new police report (image above was used with the permission of Sophia’s family)

Mother of the missing person California The girl whose body was discovered in the bathtub told police about her daughter’s horrific final days, authorities said in a police report supporting the woman’s murder allegation. female.

Samantha Johnson31 years old, told investigators that her 8-year-old daughter Sophia Mason lived in a barn behind the house they shared with Johnson’s boyfriend Dhante Jacksonfollow a Unified Police Department (MPD) report obtained by Merced Sun-Star.

The report also says that Johnson said Sophia was abused both physically and sexually by Jackson, 34, a claim that police found supporting evidence during their investigation.

In a telephone interview, Sophia’s grandmother Sylvia Johnson told Law & Crime she missed her “always happy and loving” granddaughter, who she knew planned the funeral. She said, for many years, she had custody of Sophia but then lost the baby girl to her daughter. She said that in the final weeks before her death, Sophia no longer looked like the “vibrant” girl she knew.

The same police report — prepared by the MPD using information obtained by various law enforcement agencies — also details how Sophia may have died.

According to Merced Sun-StarJohnson told investigators that she last saw her daughter alive on February 10.

On that day, she took Sophia out of the shed to clean the “faeces” from her body, according to the report.

Johnson then left the girl alone in the bathroom with Jackson, a man she knew sexually and physically abused her daughter at the time, authorities said.

She told investigators that shortly afterwards, she heard a “thump.”

The next day, a sliding door was opened in the house, reported Merced Sun-Starand Johnson suggested that the daughter, who was physically debilitated, went out on her own.

Sophia’s mother Samantha Johnson is now charged with murder (above in this photo provided by Merced DA)

“Johnson said that in her mind she believed [Sophia] ran away [sic]”The report states.

This scenario is most parents’ worst nightmare, but Johnson is said to have decided not to search for his daughter or report her missing.

“Jackson told Johnson that your daughter (Sophia) doesn’t want to be with you and doesn’t want to be your daughter anymore. Johnson says Jackson told her this, so that’s why she stopped looking [Sophia]),” Read the report.

Exactly a month after Johnson last saw his daughter, police officers discovered Sophia’s body.

After days of searching for Sophia following reports of an endangered minor, officers of Hayward Police Department [HPD] said they had finally located where Johnson was living with Jackson.

HPD officers say they faced another setback when Johnson and Jackson refused to answer the door to the mansion, so they waited until Johnson left the house.

“On March 10, 2022, as detectives continued their investigation efforts, a probable cause was identified in the arrest of Johnson for injuries to a child’s body,” HPD wrote in a press release. “Detectives also received information that Johnson may be at an address in Newark. Hayward PD agents responded to the area, located Johnson, and put her in jail. “

The MPD then worked to obtain a search warrant for the home where Johnson and Jackson were living with Sophia, and that’s where authorities say they discovered the missing girl.

That’s when they announced Jackson was gone, launching a nationwide manhunt for the accused killer.

The Merced Sun-Star reported that another setback to the investigation occurred the day police arrested Johnson.

Jackson was with her at the time, but as the body had not been discovered, officers “didn’t have any information to lead them to believe (Jackson) might have had anything to do with the abuse.” child abuse,” according to police documents.

The Merced County Attorney announced on Monday that both Johnson and Jackson were charged with murder and child abuse, as well as Johnson’s previous charges of injuring a child and obstructing an officer’s investigation. .

According to the grandmother, the family is now preparing to wage a separate battle with social services, believing they could have prevented Sophia’s death and claiming that they ignored many of the warning signs.

“Social workers, law enforcement, everyone ignores Sophia,” Sylvia said. “We won’t let another child fall through the cracks.”

ONE GoFundMe was given out to help with funeral expenses.

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