KNOWLEDGE THAT THE CALLER WAS “AN ENGINEER”
The recent Dateline NBC episode about the case chronicled that Leonard stated the caller identified himself as an engineer, while Johnson (who has a degree in geology, but had held jobs at engineering firms) sometimes referred to himself as an engineer:
He [Johnson] sometimes called himself an engineer…
The man [the caller] still would not give his name, saying only that he was an engineer…
– From Dateline NBC episode “Behind the Closet Door” (6/23/2023)
There is additional documentary evidence of Johnson’s experience as an engineer. It comes from Johnson’s own bond motion, which is part of the publicly available court file. The motion includes several letters in support of his bond, one of which is from the President and CEO of a structural engineering firm. The letter confirms that Johnson worked there from April 1989 through August 1993:
In addition, police found an old resume for Johnson in their search of the (remaining) computer. The resume shows that Johnson held at least two positions where he described himself with the word “engineer”:
johnson and leonard each discussed phone calls in 1998
In 1998, both Johnson and Leonard independently referenced, or appeared to reference, speaking with each other on the phone in the day(s) leading up to the murder; Johnson even said that he remembered part of the phone number (Johnson admission: Chief Penn Supplement; Leonard’s admission: 11/1998 interview). This is striking because Johnson told the victim’s son that he knew nothing about the man except that he was male (hence his nickname: “Computer Guy”). Johnson had claimed that he “never saw the piece of paper” with Leonard’s information. The family was forced to hire a private investigator and it took them two years to find the man.
Imagine the shock that family members must have felt when, 20 years after the homicide, Leonard began describing the phone calls, it came out that Leonard had mentioned contact with the Andrea’s “husband” even in 1998, and that Johnson had told police that, in fact, he had been asked to contact the man and remembered part of the phone number.
Indeed, one of the most absurd claims made by Johnson’s defense lawyers at the trial was: “There was no phone call.” The lawyers also argued that Leonard “made up” his story about the phone call(s) in 2018. But in November 1998, Leonard told police that Andrea’s “husband” called him in the days leading up to the murder:
Johnson’s statement given to police, “Andrea asked Chris to call the man … She gave him a phone number that the area code was 202“.
When speaking with the victim’s son, Kevin, Johnson claimed he had no idea who “the computer guy” was and could not recall any details about him. Kevin hired a private investigator, who spent two years searching for the identity of “the computer guy.” Johnson never revealed to the private investigator or family that he knew the man was from SE Washington, DC or that his phone number began with 202, or that he had been asked to call the man on phone, and had apparently done so.
LEONARD KNEW THE SAME DETAILS ABOUT SWIMMING AND SHOWERING THAT JOHNSON TOLD POLICE
Leonard testified that the caller said that Andrea would be coming from “a nautical center or spa” that morning and would have to shower after that. This matches Johnson’s understanding of her morning, per what he told police:
Johnson’s and Leonard’s Timelines Match
- It is important to note how unususal Andrea’s schedule was that day. She almost never came home at 1pm. She typically worked during the day, and spent weekends working on the beach house. She was off of work only on every third Friday, and was not scheduled to be off that Friday. She had switched her schedule only earlier that week (around 8/18/1998). According to notes that the victim’s son took based on conversations with the Private Investigator (the notes were taken in June 2000 and summarized in January 2001), Leonard worked on the property for only one week–and left on 8/4/1998.
- Andrea worked from 2pm to 10pm at the library every Monday. Therefore, if Leonard had somehow learned her schedule, and come at 1pm to find her home, it should most likely have been on a Monday. Yet Leonard came on a Friday–not Monday–stating that the caller had informed him she would be home that day–and she was.
- Meanwhile, Leonard had no car, lived in another area (in fact, another state), and worked during the day–but not in Arlington. He had no reason to come back to Arlington and could not reasonably have lurked there to learn Andrea’s schedule–especially since that schedule was created two weeks after Leonard left.
- Even if he had done so, he would have expected her not to be home, because this was not her routine.
- “Burgulary interrputed,” a favorite theory of Johnson’s defense attorneys, is also unreasonable because everyone agrees that Leonard knew which car belong to Andrea’s–and it was parked right out front. Leonard would presumably have seen the car, left, and simply returned when nobody was home.
- This brings us back to: How did Leonard know the details of Andrea’s schedule that day–with the same slight inaccuracy that Johnson had told police 24 years earlier?
Some other items:
- Leonard gave his actual phone number to Andrea when he obtained the computer—which seems inconsistent with a plan to come back and later and commit a crime
- Large mound of loose coins on shelves from which Johnson said coins were taken—undisturbed (Marks video)
- $100 bill on teakwood desk shelves—undisturbed (police file)
- Large, circular imprint on carpet, in same room where Leonard says he found a large, jug of bills/coins (Marks video)
- Lack of evidence of sexual assault (negative PERK test)
- Unlike other victims, Leonard had no day-to-day connection with Andrea and no dispute with her
- Leonard had no (other) reason to be in Arlington that day
- Did not benefit (made legally worse off) by making statement implicating Johnson
- Items unrelated to Johnson corroborated (Leonard knew what she was wearing, cause of death, where car was left, wasn’t proficient at driving clutch, etc.)
- Therefore, there is only a small chance that Andrea would have randomly been home at that time on a weekday. Andrea’s work schedule was closely guarded; has only been changed earlier that same week; this wasn’t her normal Friday off (Michelle Robinson )
- There is also evidence that appears to support Leonard’s claim pertaining to caller ID. It was typical in 1998 that a landline phone would be registered jointly, or to the “man of the house.” But Leonard stated that the caller ID displayed Andrea’s name, yet it was “Andrea’s boyfriend” on the phone. The phone line was indeed registered to Andrea only. Leonard couldn’t reasonably have known the details of this phone registration prior to getting the call.
LEONARD HAD LEFT THE PROPERTY BY AUGUST 4TH
The below snippet is from notes from the victim’s family, which they brought to a January 4, 2001 meeting with the police. At this time, the family supported Johnson. Their notes–based on the work of a private investigator–show that Leonard had left the property on August 4, 1998. One might reasonably ask how he knew such specific details of Andrea’s August 21, 1998 schedule–an atypical schedule that wasn’t created until about August 18th.
LEONARD WAS MADE WORSE OFF BY CONFESSING
In addition, we have uploaded the entire audio of Leonard’s original 2018 confession here. You will hear that Leonard asks for nothing in exchange for confessing, except that he not be made worse off by being prosecuted under a capital case. He does not ask for (and never received) a prison transfer. He does not ask for anything in exchange for testifying against Johnson, or anyone else. Leonard was not facing charges when he confessed, so he could have avoided the death penalty by simply remaining silent. In other words, he received nothing in exchange for confessing, or testifying–except the loss of eligibility for geriatric parole (forever) and the loss of prison transfer eligibility (for five years). Leonard does not attempt to negotiate any kind of deal when he confesses, and never asks for a lawyer. You can listen to the full confession below.
Apologists for Johnson often cite their incredulity that Leonard would not have pursued the caller for the money he was owed. Leonard was asked about this issue by police. The police report documents that, had Leonard found the caller, he would have killed him too:
crime scene photos support leonard’s version regarDing coins
There is another minor detail to note here: Leonard states that, after the murder, he went to the post office to get coin wrappers. This is consistent with the idea that he took a large water jug or jar of loose cash and coins. Johnson had claimed that the missing coins were already rolled/wrapped, even though crime scene photos show rolled coins still present, in the area from which Johnson said they were taken.
Meanwhile, a photo of the 2nd bedroom shows a clear circular indentation in the carpet, in the bedroom from which Leonard states he took the jar/jug of coins. The cumbersome nature of this jar/jug is what drove Leonard to take the car, based on his statement.
johnson introduced the idea of an “agreement” with leonard–and called the number he was given as a number to arrange payment
When undercover police officers posed as family members of Leonard’s and asked Johnson to pay the money he owed (providing him a phone number with which to do so), Johnson called the number he was given, and never reported the encounter to Andrea’s family, nor to Arlington Police. He never asks what the money is for, nor when the debt was incurred, nor how much money. As prosecutors noted, he doesn’t seem surprised that he’s being asked for the money. He doesn’t deny having had contact with Leonard. He tells the undercover officer that “there’s no agreement” between him and Leonard. The officer had never said anything about an agreement.
no signs of sexual assault–contrary to leonard’s usual m.o.
Finally, the police file indicates that there were no signs of sexual assault. This is consistent with Leonard’s statement and contrary to his usual MO:
You can listen to the entire audio of Leonard’s confession below.