Committee to Defend J.B. Johnson Records
Scope and Contents
The collection includes two documents produced by the Committee to Defend J.B. Johnson in 1973. There is a three-page paper by Lorena Jeanne Tinker, “J.B. (Pike) Johnson: St. Louis Victim of Unequal Justice,” listing the discrepancies in the case against J.B. Johnson and four blank copies of the petition sent to Governor Bond.
Dates
- 1973
Creator
- Tinker, Lorena Jeanne, 1921- (Author, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.
Historical Sketch
On January 23, 1970, J.B. Johnson was arrested after Detective James Boevingloh was killed during a jewelry store robbery in University City, Missouri. Robert Lee Walker was convicted of murder and robbery and sentenced to life in prison. In 1972, Johnson received the same sentence, convicted as an accomplice in the crimes. Due to questionable handling of evidence, witness testimony, and racial bias, a committee formed to work for Johnson’s release. The Committee to Defend J.B. Johnson sought assistance from Governor Christopher “Kit” Bond in 1973. The Missouri Supreme Court overturned Johnson’s 1972 conviction in 1975. However, a St. Louis County jury found Johnson guilty again in the retrial held in 1976.
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet ( (1 folder))
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The documents are in one folder.
Physical and Technical Requirements
There are no physical or technical restrictions.
Donor Information
The documents were purchased in 2022 (accession number 2022-014).
Processing Information
Processed with funding from The Stuart Foundation, Inc. by Kristina Perez, 2022.
Creator
- Tinker, Lorena Jeanne, 1921- (Author, Person)
- Committee to Defend J.B. Johnson (Saint Louis, Mo.) (Attributed name, Organization)
- Title
- Committee to Defend J.B. Johnson Records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- EAD by Kristina Perez using ArchivesSpace
- Date
- 2022
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository