Jose Sr. and Elena Najera Murders: Where Are Jose Najera Jr. and Gerald Johnson Now?

Town of Backyard Grove in California was left shocked when 911 operators acquired a distressing name a couple of double homicide on December 28, 1999. On dashing to the spot, first responders discovered Jose Najera Sr. and his spouse, Elena, brutally stabbed to loss of life in their very own residence. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Diabolical: Better of Associates’ attracts a vivid image of the horrifying homicide and follows the following police investigation that introduced the perpetrators to justice. Let’s delve into the main points of this case and discover out the place the murderers are at current, lets?

How Did Jose Sr. and Elena Najera Die?

The Najeras had been thought-about to be a contented household and had been fairly revered of their neighborhood. They lived in a middle-class neighborhood in Backyard Grove after immigrating from Mexico. The couple even shared a 19-year-old son, and Jose Sr. labored within the building enterprise to supply for his household. It was Jose Sr. and Elena’s son — Jose Jr. — who known as 911 and knowledgeable them of his mother and father’ deaths on December 28, 1999. Jose Jr. claimed that he had returned house to seek out them stabbed and fully unresponsive.

As soon as first responders reached the scene, they discovered the couple of their bed room. Elena lay on her again whereas Jose Sr. was on his abdomen, and each had a number of stab wounds throughout their physique. An post-mortem later decided that each had been stabbed over 20 occasions every, ensuing of their deaths. Nevertheless, a lot to the police’s shock, there was no signal of a pressured entry, and the cash in Elena’s purse remained untouched. Nonetheless, additional investigation even revealed a ski masks with a strand of blonde hair inside.

Who Killed Jose Sr. and Elena Najera?

The investigation into the deaths of Jose Sr. and Elena Najera was initially gradual as there was an absence of leads for authorities to comply with. Nevertheless, the police quickly turned their consideration on Jose Jr., who claimed he had snuck out on the night time of the murders and had left the window open. He talked about that he spent the night time together with his buddies Gerald Johnson, Brian, and Vince, at Gerald’s home and returned at round 4:30 am to seek out his mother and father murdered. Gerald, Brian, and Vince additionally corroborated this alibi.

Nevertheless, the present talked about how police started suspecting the chums after a neighbor stated they observed a automobile pulling as much as the Najera residence at about 3 am. The neighbor even went on to state that he knowledgeable Jose Jr. in regards to the car, however he didn’t appear bothered and gave an excuse of some mechanic coming to repair a automobile. Issues started falling aside as soon as the police known as the mechanic in query and confirmed that he had not been close to the Najera residence on the night time of the homicide.

Furthermore, in accordance with the present, Gerald’s good friend additionally approached the police and knowledgeable them of a $20,000 cheque that Gerald had acquired from unknown sources. Gerald appeared fairly not sure in regards to the cheque’s origin and stored altering his story, strengthening suspicions. Noticing him to be blonde, the police determined to check the strand of blonde hair recovered from the crime scene, which proved to be an ideal match to Gerald’s DNA.

Moreover, whereas looking Gerald’s home, the police additionally got here throughout some blood splatters in his bathe, which contained Jose Sr. and Elena’s DNA. Thus, satisfied of Gerald’s involvement, the police arrested him and charged him with homicide in 2000. Nevertheless, cops had been very certain of a second confederate, though they discovered it extraordinarily troublesome to get Jose Jr. and his buddies to activate one another.

Finally, in 2007, Gerald got here clear and implicated Jose Jr. because the mastermind behind the murders. Subsequently, the police discovered that Jose Jr. was falling behind in class and had additionally stolen some cash which he hid from his mother and father. Thus, with a believable motive and Gerald’s assertion, the police lastly arrested Jose Jr. and charged him with homicide in 2007.

The place Are Jose Najera Jr. and Gerald Johnson Now?

After Gerald Johnson’s arrest in 2000, he was produced in courtroom, the place he pleaded not responsible to the costs in opposition to him. Nevertheless, he was discovered responsible of first-degree homicide and sentenced to life in jail with out parole in 2002. Gerald tried to attraction his conviction a number of occasions, however his petitions had been at all times thrown out of courtroom. In a last-ditch effort, Gerald determined to come back clear in 2007 and implicate Jose Jr. within the crime.

Nevertheless, authorities had been in a position to construct a case in opposition to Jose Jr. with out Gerald’s assertion. Due to this fact, with no approach out of jail, Gerald died by suicide in 2008. Then again, Jose Jr. was convicted of first-degree homicide. Based mostly on his conviction, Jose Jr. was sentenced to life with out parole in 2010 and is now incarcerated on the California Well being Care Facility – Stockton in Stockton, California.

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