Third woman arrested in connection to 8-year-old boy's death
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A third person has been arrested in connection to the death of an 8-year-old boy whose body was found hidden in north Columbus.
According to a Franklin County Court of Common Pleas indictment, Mary Johnson, 68, has been charged with obstruction of justice, stemming from an Amber Alert issued on June 28 for two children who went missing after police were called to investigate the disappearance of Martonio Wilder.
Prosecutors told NBC4 they would not discuss the reasoning for the charge as of Wednesday.
Wilder, 8, was found dead in a trash bag hidden in the attic of the home in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood. According to police documents, Lashanda Wilder and Johnna Lowe left without telling police where they were going. With them were two children, ages 9 and 3, who are Wilder's siblings and were the subject of an Amber Alert.
Two calls were then placed to 911, according to Columbus police. The first was at 4:11 p.m., when Lowe said she was ready to talk to a detective. The second call was placed over five hours later at 9:26 p.m. Johnson told police she had the siblings at her South Linden home.
“The kids who have an Amber Alert about them, they’re at my house,” Johnson said on the phone, according to a transcript. “I had a detective come here and he didn’t ask about (the kids).”
Johnson, who told police she is Lowe’s mother, said that Lashanda Wilder dropped the kids off at her home around 3:30 p.m. that day and then left to look for Martonio.
“I’m not a family member or anything to them, I just know (Lashanda) because she dates my daughter,” she said.
Wilder and Lowe turned themselves in on June 29 and were charged with murder in Martonio’s death. Court records showed the coroner’s office determined Wilder died from “deep neck compression”. Lowe was also charged with obstruction of justice.
A judge issued Wilder, who did not appear in person, $2 million in total bonds: $1.5 million for the murder charge and $500,000 for obstruction of justice. Lowe, 33, was issued a $500,000 bond after being charged with obstruction of justice.