The murder of Donna Johnson on July 16, 1984 changed Barnesville-Lamar County for good. Many – particularly those in the Piedmont community – began locking doors to their homes which had never before seen a latch. Firearms permits sold like lemonade on a hot day. As an unsolved homicide, the Johnson file is closed to the public and press and has been for 26 years this week. Now, The Herald-Gazette has attempted to create its own file using sources acquired over the years. We talked to people on the record and off. Many are still too scared to speak of the case. A recent Herald-Gazette column, https://www.barnesville.com/archives/2470-We-all-failed-Miss-Beulah.html, about the death of Donna’s mother generated several new leads, according to the GBI. The Herald-Gazette has conducted extensive interviews with those involved, including the man who found Johnson’s body and watched horrified as evidence was destroyed.
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