Cops Discover Bodies in Woman’s Trunk During Traffic Stop

Cops Discover Bodies in Woman’s Trunk During Traffic Stop

has never been seen before until now. In Essex, Maryland, just after 11 p.m. on July 28th, 2021, an officer with the Baltimore County Police Department approaches a vehicle for a traffic stop. How you doing? Fine. All right. You got your license registration on you? You know why I pulled you over? You know what the speed limit is? No. Okay. Speed limit is 35. Oh. And you was doing you was doing well over. Oh, I’m sorry. I I swear I only got over 40. The driver, 33-year-old Nicole Michelle Johnson, hands over a state ID. Sitting beside her in the front seat is a friend who she calls BB. The officer heads back to his cruiser to run a registration, but the information doesn’t quite check out. Vehicle requested not on file. Simple. So, you don’t have a driver license? No. Okay. And also, this vehicle is not even registered. Those tags in there are fake tags. This car has to be told. Can I get my stuff out of it? Yeah, you get everything out of it. But how long did you have to stop? Probably like almost 30 days. As the officer returns to his cruiser to issue citations, Nicole and BB exit the vehicle. Nicole walks to the rear and opens the trunk, revealing several large bags tightly packed inside. Miss Johnson, you come over here. So, you got pulled over for the same stuff already. But that’s why I went and I really really thought I got good tags. You got to be careful with that. Uh I know stuff off the internet and all that kind of stuff like that. Stuff I don’t even give a [ __ ] Like you literally see like we literally well not her but me and my kids literally living in the car like John I just need you to sign this. This is basically telling you that you have to go to Kelso Drive courthouse within 5 days to request a court date. If you don’t request a court date within 5 days they can issue a warrant for your arrest. This is not meant to guilt be here in 5 days. I swear to God please stay like I can’t go through anymore like just take me home please. I can’t I can’t take you. It’s in the It’s in the city. I can’t go down there. There you go. This is not meant to guilt or anything like that. Just saying. I’m telling you it’s cool. I won’t be here tomorrow. Tonight is my last night. What am I going to do? Like I split it. No, that’s I still got to do my job and try to explain to you. I know, but I’m just saying I’m not even talking about in Baltimore. Watch tomorrow. Y’all are going to see me on the news. Y’all was going to see me make my bigger. I swear. The officer has no idea her bizarre comment will soon become a shocking reality. With a tow truck on its way, Nicole sits on the sidewalk and calls a friend for a ride. You want to grab a couple of your things? Yes, please. Go ahead. Give dot do tow truck. We I’m doing a I’m going to do an inventory search of your car once you finish taking out what you want to take out. What’s inventory? So, inventory search is is when I go through your car. For instance, say like you had $15,000 in the trunk of this car right now and you taking a tow it and it’s gone. Yo, I’m in the middle with no oil and you taking my car and I got to take all my stuff out cuz you know I don’t have anything. So, if I lose this is all I got. Y’all keep ask me to move on. Y’all keep telling me one more day. Y’all keep saying everything will get better. Y’all keep saying it can’t get no worse. If y’all keep saying by the light behind the light, like where is the light? Yo, like where is the light? Like where is the light? Yo, like where? Like where where where you like inspirational conversations? Here we go. Here we go. Cuz I can’t take no more. Like I really can’t take no more. When backup arrives at the scene, the officer taps his colleague on the arm and quietly shares that something is very wrong. Come here. Yeah. Hold up for a minute. Eric, do me a favor. Walk over to the car. See what you smell. Not drugs or anything, but see you smell anything. Something dead or something. Did you move in your car? This where I live at. No, seriously. I just need to find I need I need to know. I told you. What is this right here? Huh? What is this? A bunch of dirty clothes. A bunch of bunch of dirty clothes. That don’t smell like dirty clothes. Huh? That don’t smell like dirty clothes. What do you mean? I’m about to show you. I’m about to show you. I’m about to show you right now. It’s a bunch of dirty blankets. Well, this been sitting in there for months and months and months and months and months. You going have to You going to have to ma’am, I’m You going to have to open that up all the way. I’m I’m about to open it up all the way. Yeah, you have to open it up all the way for me. Bugs and stuff all over it and everything because there’s bugs and stuff over it and everything. I know, but I I don’t know what it is, though. The stench is unmistakable. But finding the source of the smell is easier said than done, as whatever is inside is buried beneath endless layers of plastic trash bags. Literally ripping be all the so we can see all the nerdy stuff. I don’t think a guilty person would be doing it like this, bro. If I take all my stuff out, where am I going to I just need this right here is is is drawing my attention to it. So, I’m going have to I need to see it. Just feel it. That’s why I’m trying to show you. No, I’m just I’m with giving him some advice. Okay. I’m telling you, you’re just going to find a bunch of dirty blankets. Yeah, but I I need to I need to know what that smell is. I am. I’m about to show you. Nicole turns to the officer for help, and he carefully begins cutting through the thick layers with a knife. You got to get all the way through to the dirty [ __ ] pill. Why you got all these blankets? Huh? Why you got all these blankets? Because we stay in hotels from the hotel to the car. Like, I can even get the hotel. No, no, no. You can finish here. I was just curious. Don’t worry. Yeah, I can even get to the hotel receipt for you. Okay. You ain’t got to go through that. I was just curious. Keep finding blankets. I ain’t found one blanket. Keep Oh, you going You going to keep finding them? You see them right there? As soon as you open, Huh? Keep finding plastic. Oh, yeah. Cuz soon as you open it, it’s You going to find them. Stand on the front of this car. Make sure she don’t go nowhere. After cutting through multiple layers of trash bags, officers finally uncover a black suitcase. Just open the suitcase and we can be good after that. Little blanket still. Can you cut it from here? Can you cut it one more time? And this is what smells. What is that? Huh? What is that? No. Open. Pull it out. Pull. dirty for my husband. The whole bag out. I am. My husband just saying the dirty dirty bug is for my husband. I am. See, take it out. Take the bag out. Take that bag out of there. I am. Okay. Pull that bag out. [Music] There you go. Open that bag up. Okay. Close. Close. All pretty close. Open it up, ma’am. I’m going the whole thing. [Music] What? Open that up. Open that up. What the Get the push. Don’t you Oh my god. [Music] Turn over. Turn over. Turn over. Turn over right now. Rest. Don’t you move. Don’t you move. Put your hand behind your back. Put your hand behind your back. What I do? What the? It’s not mine. What the What the What I do? What I do? Give me your other hand now. 11. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to hear it. Get up. On your feet. Roll over. Sit on your butt. Stand up. Don’t need that. We got two in custody right now, but we need a super. Please don’t. No. Please. I swear to God if you move. So help me. Please not arrest her. Please don’t arrest her. She don’t have anything to do with nothing. that she really don’t have anything to do with nothing. I will give you everything. Yeah, everybody. I don’t want to hear it. Please don’t arrest her. With both women in custody, the officers struggle to process the horror they’ve just witnessed. No. Stay. Hey. No. No. No. Calm down. Calm down. Relax. Back up. Have her sit down. Sit down. Sit down. I know. Relax. Relax. Relax. Excuse me. You relax, baby. Just relax, man. Keep your mouth closed. I didn’t give you permission to talk. Sit down and be quiet. You okay? I’m trying, man. You okay? No. No. No. No. Listen. I need you to calm down. I need I need you to calm down. I’m trying. No. I need you to focus. Let’s do this. Calm down. I need you to focus. Focus and focus on her. Hey, get over there with her. Put your mask on. Put your mask on. All right. Put your mask on. Mask up. Under arrest. Gloves. Gloves. Everything. Everybody should have gloves and a mask on, man. Yo, what’s in there, bro? It’s a baby. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Please. Please relax, bro. I’m here. I need you to breathe. I need you to breathe. Good. Okay. Okay. I need you to breathe. Okay. I’m good. I need No, I need you. Don’t worry about it. Can I ask you? No. I’m sorry. I just want to ask you more. There’s nothing for me to talk about with you. Do you understand that? I know. Do you understand that? But y’all going to want all the information anyway. We’ll get to that point, but right now you need to be quiet. This is not a game. No. No. Absolutely not. No. You kill me. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. I’m not going to ma’am. No, ma’am. We’re not going to take that road. We’re not going to take that route. You’re going to sit here and we’re going to wait. We’re going to get to that point. But don’t you say another word. Don’t you say another word. Thompson, are you okay? I’m good. Are you sure? He’s not okay. I’m good. I didn’t ask you to talk. No, just let him. I’m not asking you to talk to him. Can I please take this on my own? She don’t have anything to do. Just stop. For your sake, stop speaking. But I’m going to have to speak to y’all anyway. But I’m not asking you to speak to me now. I’ve told you multiple times to be quiet. I’m sorry. You ran from me. You made me chase you. I’m giving you a chance to rest and calm down. I didn’t know that was in there. I’m asking you I’m asking you to just stop talking. That’s it. Okay. The officer takes the opportunity to walk away and regain his composure, but the emotional aftershock is hard to contain. Oh Allah, I seek the refuge in you from the whisperings of an oursed devil who whispers into the hearts of men. Can I talk for you for a second? No. Yes. No. Yes. Please go. I’m done. Are you okay? I’m good. I’m good. Excuse me. Stop. Go take a break. Go over there. Go ahead. Excuse me. Where? Excuse me. Ma’am, stop talking. Be quiet. Stop talking. What do you mean? Please be quiet, bro. I I’m scared to look and I Please. Just turn around. So, what are you you picking me for? Oh, no. Get her out of here. Get her out of here. Get up. Get up. No. More officers begin to arrive and can only guess at what has the other officers in such a sickened state. I’m going to say hyper spray happy. No. That baby come back. What the Hey, I you come back. It looks like a kid that’s curled up in there. I want to look. Just wait. Hold up a minute. Something Something just happened there. They’re not okay. No, they not okay. I wasn’t okay. That’s why I took off. I sat there and I dug through that stuff the whole time. Soon as I seen who he was, I took off running, too. So, no, they not like who they turn to the police. speeding around with bodies in my car. I’m so dumb that I’m going to see this. I We need to verify. We don’t know what this is. How do you know? Oh my god. Oh Jesus Christ. Oh Jesus. Oh my god. It’s a little girl. Yeah. You need some water. Take a walk. Take a walk. I’m good. Stand there. No. I can’t vision it. I can’t vision it. What the is messing my head up. I can’t vision it. After telling the tow truck driver his services will no longer be needed, officers make the difficult decision to get a closer look in order to confirm what lies beneath the maggot covered blanket. I can I can lift it up. Doesn’t really bother me, but it’s this it’s got to be a three or four year old kid. Let me get it. My gloves are already. The problem is the the body is is this position. Yes. Oh my god. That’s a five. That’s a five. That’s a fivey old white child. 100%. It’s got like a pearl female clothes, right? Buddy, come here. [Music] It almost looks like it has has the uh the pigmentation like Michael Jackson had. That’s right. So, homicide’s going to have to come out. Definitely coming out for this. There’s no way they’re not, right? Um Emmy is going to have to come here. Warrants for the house. I mean, yeah, 100%. Well, they’re going to have to find out who this kid is. how shrunk that skin is too. Oh, it’s been wrapped in this sheet for I don’t know how long. I’m not a medical examiner, but um like I said, just remember the cameras are stolen, right? Um but this is this is at least a week. I mean, I seen some stuff, but it just sucks. It’s like I don’t I guess it hits them harder than me cuz I’m just a Well, I’ve had trauma earlier on, but basically uh like my daughter turns five Saturday, you know what I mean? This is 100% a 5-year-old kid. What they’ve uncovered is just the beginning of a dark and tragic case with the police station. Stand up for We’re going to be precinct. For what? Ma’am, stand up. Enough. Stand up. Walk. Bi. Be good. You are okay. You know you don’t be with me. You know you are okay. BB. Just be good. Yo, just be good. I’m going to I’m going to tell the truth. Just be good. Come here and stand over here. Just stand here. Lean up against the car. Okay. Can you please tell them who she is? Ma’am, you you can you can talk to whoever you need to talk to. I just I just wanted to say why she was reacting, but she mentally [ __ ] and she really don’t have anything that’s going You can talk to anybody you need to talk to back at the precinct. Okay. That’s how we’re going to do this. All right. Okay. I’m sorry. Nothing. I don’t have nothing. I’m clean. Ma’am, can you stop talking, please? Enough. Enough. Look, you should keep talking. You just keep talking. When I told you stop talking, you should keep talking. Hold on. Get the bag off. My phone is in there. You got You got You got enough. Dunk on my bag. Dunk on my bag. My phone is in there. Ma’am, it’d be in your best interest not to move on. Take this handcuff off. [Music] Check on you. Put the bag off her. Put it back on. Put the arm back. Stop playing. I’m not playing. [Music] Get in the car. Get in the car. No. What? I get in the car. Get in the car. I’m going to put you in the car. That’s your choices. Can I have my bag now? I don’t care. Get in the car. My phone is Your bag will be with you. What is she diagnosed with? I don’t know. But she can’t read. She can’t anything. Like she’s [ __ ] Like she just because she can’t read doesn’t mean she’s [ __ ] No, I’m No, I’m telling you like I don’t I don’t know what she goes with, but she really don’t have anything to do with anything. You got anything on you? No, ma’am. It’s $20 in my bra. In your bra? Yes, ma’am. On your side. Sir, park that in your car. What is this? Part of your underwear? It’s a a a a bead chain. Part of your underwear? No, ma’am. It’s a It’s like a waist bead for what? You can rip it. Just rip it. Just pull it and rip it like Why you right there? Yeah. Sorry. Is it just a bead? Is it just a bead? Yes, ma’am. You’re going to have to take it back. They’re going to have to take it off when they get the free time. Make sure it’s nothing else. That’s why I said just All right. Go ahead. She got $20 right here. Both women arrive at the station and are placed in separate rooms. While Nicole seems to understand the reason for her arrest, BB appears confused and continues to demand answers. You don’t ask me that question. About three, four times and I told you the same answer about three, four times. I’ll tell you again. You are in police custody. You are going to be sitting right there in handcuffs with your bag right there until somebody was either equal ranked that knows that was out there with this call or somebody ranks higher than me comes to me and tell me to do something else. So get comfortable. Relax. You’re going to be here for a while. Is what it is. Sorry. So what’s my ride? So you just going to lock somebody up with no rock? Ma’am know my right. Ma’am, what’s your first name? Kazi. Kazati. Yes, it’s Kazati. Do Do I kill somebody? Ma’am, do I kill somebody? I don’t know. So why? But what I do know is you going to be in handcuffs in that chair until someone says otherwise. I don’t got no one. So why I’m on that? What’s your last name? Kazari. What’s your last name? Chibola. Okay. Both of those are very hard to pronounce. So I’m just going to call you madam. And I’m sorry about that. So now so you are going to lock me and and frame me for something you get not telling me. I didn’t frame you with anything. You I’m not Baltimore County. I’m one person. I’m Chicago machine. Okay. You telling me my hand is clean. I’m tell I’m clean, right? Do you need hand sanitizer? Is that what we asking about? You are detained until one of somebody out there. You understand? I’m backup, right? You can ask me a thousand times, but I can’t tell you what I don’t know. Like, it’s not going to be some fairy that comes to the wall and says, “Here, officer bowling.” Boop. Here’s the information that she’s asking for. I ain’t got it. That’s like a loop. What exactly is that? If I get sick in here, it’s going to happen. If I get sick, if I didn’t make no phone from nobody, I’m not okay. It’s It’s going to be consequency. Do you need water? I’m not crazy. I didn’t I didn’t say you were. I asked you, did you need water? That’s what I asked. Yes, I need water. Okay, I can try arrange for that for you. In a separate room, the officer waiting with Nicole informs her that he can’t speak with her about the case. Left in silence, she begins talking to herself. It was okay. She arguing about it. And I’m all like, “What am I arguing for? Just open it and let them look at it.” So stupid. So stupid. So stupid. I don’t want to cross it. I can’t even cry cuz Nicole appearing to wrestle with guilt will soon have an opportunity to explain the grim discovery. Meanwhile, BB makes a separate request. So, can can I go to hospital then? Can I go to hospital then? What is your what is your health complaint, madam? Can I go to hospital then? What’s wrong with you? Cuz my kn I’m not feeling good. Your knee hurts. You’re not feeling well. I’m not feeling well. You’re conscious and breathing, so to me, you look fine. I’m not I’m not fine. Okay, then what’s wrong? I’m not fine. Okay, then let’s discuss what’s wrong so I can get you the help you need. The officer informs his supervisor of BB’s complaint, but when he returns for details, he’s met with an interesting response. How bad is your knee? Let me say, “Can I have my daily?” Oh, wow. That is my neighbor, but too hard. What knee is hurt? Okay, show me where you’re hurt. Okay, look at that. Why you get that? Why’ you get that? Okay. BB is then informed that if she chooses to go to the hospital, she’ll need to wear shackles. I can walk. I can take that. No, you going to the hospital. You getting shackles on. Point blank. Your fan butt. That’s not not up for debate. [ __ ] the bed. Yeah. Do you want to go to hospital or not? Nah. I changed my mind. All right. All right. Mine has been changed. I bet you I know my B. I’m going to right now if they question me for something, I know my B but let me go. Who said what? I’m sorry, man. The language barrier. You got to slow down. Your accent is really thick, so I got to I’m trying to pee as you talk. I’m very vi. Please sit down. Can I see that? I’m s for long. I got to stretch my legs. I’m going to tell you one more time to sit down. I’m going to put you back in the chair. Your choice. I’m going to sit down. Go. I’m going to sit down. If I get If I get out of this chair, I’m going to put you back in that chair and you’re not going to like me. So, I’m going to ask you one more time to sit down. I’m sitting there. I’m talking. Actually, you’re standing. I’m glad to be standing. I’m glad to be standing like I’m exing. I’m exing. Let let me let let me make a phone call. Let me see what what I’m here for. And then you guys are holding me with nothing. So, you thought standing up was going to solve that problem? No. Absolutely not. You are detained. End of story. End of message. My name is Officer Bowling and I approve this message. Bullman. You’re not Bowman. My name is Officer Bowling. I got a name tag on my chest that says the exact same thing that I said. There’s no Bowman. It’s bowling. It’s not Bowman. Okay. In the other room, Nicole continues talking to herself, visibly wrestling with her own thoughts. I knew it was a reason why I felt like I knew it was the reason we just kept going through. That’s why I said I can’t take no more. Look, I said I can’t take Here we go. Much much more. That’s what they told me. He said I was going to keep it punished and keep it punished. Keep it punished. Is there a such thing as a death affinity still? Certain state has it? Not this one. I think so. We need to have it. I don’t think if I would have known I would have ran before tragedy like was even politely like, “Excuse me, can you cut this for me?” idiot, bro. The scent of decay clings to Nicole, growing so strong that it becomes unbearable for others in the station. One officer fills the room with an odor spray, but when that fails to help, he brings in an air scrubber and tries the spray a second time. Soon after, a decision is made to transfer the two women to another facility for interviews with detectives. So, I got your bag, you got your shoes on. All you got to do now is get in the car and we on the road. So, why do you want to talk to me? Why? I wanted to Would you like to stand up or would you like us to drag you to the car? Your choice. You an adult. Why in the world to talk to me around? Stand up. Walk to the car. Uh-uh. I am going. That’s fine. You said you had knee pain, so I was going to make sure you can walk fine. Come on. Get my bag, please. Nope. I want my bag. I don’t care what you want. Can I have my my my thing? Safe travels. Let’s go. Like I said, if something happened to me tonight, it’s going to be it it’s going to be war. Yes, ma’am. I hate it here. Back at the scene, officers standing watch over the body discuss the tragic case and question the one thing weighing on everyone’s mind. Group’s pretty up about this, right? Really, everybody we saw pretty up right now. Well, I mean, I saw it. You saw it? I saw it. I ain’t trying to look. But it’s not the way he’s cut all these grown men all up. No, I mean, well, I wased up before I got this job, but I didn’t mean like that stuff like that. I’m just saying. No, I know. I know. I’m just saying it’s it’s weird that I could understand if this child this child was younger, like baby stage, but it’s not. So, it’s I’m I’m like just kind of dumbfound like like what the hell? Like I’d love to just know the reasoning. Same. I’m so curious. The whole story. Yeah. Like the whole story. Like what the hell? Like what? What? How did this even come to be? Mhm. Nicole enters the interrogation room with much to explain. She tells detectives she was in Essex to meet a man for prostitution. While BB waited in the car. She claims she’s been aware of the foul smell, but assumed it was a dead rat. But me and my home girl was doing so much to try to get the smell. Get the smell. Get the smell. But we never noticed it was coming from the back cuz we don’t sit in the back. How’ you try to get rid of the smell? We always thought it was coming through the front of the car. So we got it powerwashed. You power wash the car. Try to get smell wet. The engine. You starting to understand why this sounds a little ridiculous? Mhm. After speaking with detectives, investigators note it was clear that BBE was mentally challenged and had no knowledge of the incident. They contact her mother and arrange for her to be taken home. As for Nicole, her vague story isn’t enough to satisfy I really I want you to help me out to find out how how these children ended up like this. Okay. Okay. Children. Mhm. poof. Mhm. The discovery of a second child came only after homicide detectives began sorting through Nicole’s belongings, though the signs had been present from the very start. Me and my kids literally living in the car like speeding around with the bodies in my car. It was okay. and hold on my head. In a black and yellow plastic bin buried beneath the bags and the suitcase containing the little girl were the aged remains of a small boy. The child’s body had been wrapped in blankets and placed in multiple layers of trash bags similar to the girl. Their relation to Nicole comes as even more of a shock. Do you recognize this person at all? Who’s that? Who is that? That’s their mother. Mhm. Who are they? And that’s when I had him. If you look at them when I had him, that’s And that’s who. Remember? Okay. When you look at him when she had them and when I had them, he probably got this picture off her page, but it definitely came from mine. Okay. Because if you look at them when she had them, they were very not taken care of. You look at them when I had them, they were very well taken care of. 7-year-old Joshyn Marie James Johnson and 5-year-old Larry Darnell O’Neal were each left in Nicole’s care two years ago by her sister, who claimed she was unable to care for them at the time. Investigators also learned a shell has an active case with the Baltimore City Department of Social Services for an 8-month-old infant who was temporarily taken into their care given the current investigation. She didn’t take care of kids. She didn’t do to him what happened to him. Yeah, but it Okay, so she’s a better person for leaving them in any kind of predicament. Like she knew the predicament wasn’t okay. She knew the predicament was up. She knew like she left her kids literally with me selling my She left her kids in the room. She thought you were going to take care of them. I guess I never told her I was going to. I never asked her to. Hey, come on, bro. I used to had to yell at the mother about washing them. I used I had to yell about the at the mother about feeding them. Like I used to have to yell at her about everything. Despite portraying herself as the better caregiver, Nicole couldn’t even spell the young girl’s name. She also couldn’t recall either child’s birthday. Whatever belief remained that she’d shown love or responsibility would soon be shattered by the grim truths surrounding their deaths. She lowers herself to the floor as the interview continues. Well, let me ask you, let me tell you this, right? We We spoke to your sister and a bunch of your family members, right? Mhm. I I don’t know that everything that you’re saying is making sense. What do you mean? Well, I’m just saying. What did What do you mean? What did y’all speak about? Well, y’all spoke about her leaving our children, huh? Y’all spoke about her leaving our children. We spoke about a lot of stuff. And of course, it’s all going to be against me, huh? Oh, I mean, I don’t know. Even my mom. Oh, yeah. We met your mom. He tells Nicole he won’t discuss his conversations with her family, then steps out to check on her paperwork, leaving her alone to imagine what they may have shared behind her back. I’m not going to tell you what they say. What they say? What they say? What they say? I done bust my for all them all my life. My mother. My mother. Lady, you had me out here selling my You told me not to give that girl her kids. I would have gave them back. I said this weekend when I’m coming back, I’m giving her her kids. You told me not to. They about to put me under the gym. They too selfish and so wrong. It was a group of people here. Yeah. All family to speak on me back. Ain’t where they been at when I’ve been growing up. I guess I ran away or something like why y’all already know that’s what they said. Now I’m not talking anymore. Now since I’m a liar and since I’m a this and since I’m a that since I’m a this said anything else like come on bro. All the kids that I’ve been around in all my life. I’mma wait until my niece and nephew to kill one. I’ve been raising kids all my life so much they thought they were actually mine. and I’mma wait until my niece and nephew to kill some. While Nicole earlier stated she was living in her car, investigators located a hotel where she’d recently been staying. In the room, they find two stuffed animals as well as two rose bears, one blue and one pink, with ribbons around their necks that read always and forever. You think they’re like memorial and forever. the website though and have all kinds of different ones. Even with little ribbon and girl is that for them the bears creepy with the exception of the stuffed animals. There are no children’s clothing, belongings, or items to indicate any children had been present. This along with their advanced state of decay leaves many questions as to how long the children had been in the trunk of the car and what led to their deaths. Can I talk? What can I talk through? Like I I need my mother to be a part of this conversation. For what? Because she’s a lot of reason for the conversation. All right. But you’re an adult. What’s going on? No. Like I want to talk But I want to talk to her. Like I want to tell her. Like I want to talk to her. Did she cause this? Huh? Did she cause this? I want to talk to her and everything will come out and I just need to talk to her. The detective tells Nicole they won’t allow her to speak with her mother just yet and reminds her that it’s important to tell her story to investigators first. And they came from Jimmy and I was doing so good with them. And you didn’t want to give them back? Nobody even wanted them back until maybe 3 months ago. Is that when someone reached out to you? Who reached out to you? Huh? Your sister. Yes. Okay. What did she When she reached out to me, she barely didn’t even care. And then we were supposed to arrange for her to get them back. And she Hey, maybe next weekend. Like she didn’t even care. They were forcing her. They were forcing her to even say anything. Text messages obtained from Nicole’s phones reveal multiple conversations with her sister, who sent Nicole money and checked in on the children frequently. She asked several times to see them, eager for them to meet their new sibling. However, Deselle claims Nicole blocked her from seeing them. Now, for the first time, Nicole begins to explain the reason why, beginning with what happened to her niece, Joshyn. It was really an accident. Okay. What happened? I gave him a beating. I can’t hear you. What? I gave her a beating. Mhm. And then the next thing I know, she just wasn’t saying anything or nothing enough to like, okay, so you gave her a beaten and then she was not responsive anymore. Like it was mistakes. Like I took care of them children so good. Like it was a mistake. Like I just was trying to discipline. Wait. Explain to me how it happened. Like she got in trouble for something one day that I didn’t beat her for it. Like what? Stealing something or going in the refrigerator or doing something or something and she did it again and she did it again. And then the last time it was just like and I and I was probably more frustrated than I should have been with life period with everything with why these they leave me with the kids why nobody’s helping me why nobody’s calling me where is that mom where is my family like what like I what happened I told you Peter how how with what I I don’t even think it was anything. I think it’s just my hands. Investigators interviewed a resident at one of the hotels Nicole frequented who reported that Nicole often used harsh language and regularly cursed at the children, particularly the girl. Another witness recalled hearing Nicole abusing Joshyn through the thin walls and at times hearing the child yelling for her to stop. You were upset because she was taking things like from the refrigerator and stuff. She was doing all kinds of stuff like she was taking stuff like she was getting the boy in trouble. Like she was just doing all and you disciplined her. Yes. Okay. And and it went too far. Okay. How many times do you think you might have hit her? I don’t know. But I know she fell. Fell on what? On the floor. Was she standing on something or how was she? She was just standing up straight. Okay. And where did you hit her? I just started doing that. Okay. Like punching her in the head. No. Or no. Where? Like I think I maybe slapped her in the face, but I didn’t punch her in the head. Like it was more like me hitting on her body and then she fell. How did she fall? Backwards, forwards, sideways on her head. I know she hit her head, but I can’t remember exactly how it was that she fell. She hit her head. Okay. Do you remember where on the head? No. Did she hit her head on something other than the floor? No, but the floor was extremely hard. The floor was extremely hard. And I was so scared. Like I was so scared. Okay. What did you When she went to the floor, was she crying or was she quiet? She was quiet. Quiet. And did you What did you do after that? I tried. I just tried to bump her chest. Like I was popping on her chest really really hard. Like like I thought maybe she was like I don’t know. Like I’m just trying to go just bumping on her to like I was just trying to get her back. Like I was Okay. And then what did you do next? I laid in the bed with her. You laid her in the bed and laid next to her. Where was the boy at this time? Sleep in the other bed. Okay. Where? And I stayed in that room with her. When do you think that was? I told you maybe last year. And then what did you do with her body after that? I just put it in a suitcase and I kept her. Joshyn’s death is believed to have occurred around May of 2020, approximately 14 months before the traffic stop. Despite this, Nicole continued texting Dashelle as though Joshyn was still alive. In April of 2021, Deselle even thanked Nicole, writing, “Thank you for taking care of them so well.” Nicole admits she continued traveling from hotel to hotel, carrying the young girl in the suitcase, eventually storing her in the trunk of the car. Josh’s body arrived at the medical examiner’s office, still wrapped in a comforter that contained a cigarette butt. Numerous bruises were found on her body, but an exact cause of death could not be determined due to the advanced stage of decomposition. Still, investigators ruled her death a homicide, citing evidence of physical abuse and neglect. With Josh’s fate uncovered, investigators turned to what happened to her nephew, 5-year-old Larry, whom Nicole refers to by the name Stink. So, help me explain the other child. What happened? So, he was still with you when the uh the girl is now in the suitcase in the car. He didn’t even want to go anywhere else. Like, you can That’s why they said they talked to my family. My family don’t know me. Like, you can ask all my friends. Like, as much as I tried to push him off or I wanted to drop him off and I knew I need to drop him off, he just wanted to be me. So, what led to the next incident with the other child? I don’t know. Like I I honestly don’t know because it was like one minute we was playing and then one minute it was just like was like we were playing like we was playing. I think I think something hit him in the leg. Yeah, but that wouldn’t cause him to die. H Why would he die though? I thought it was like a main artery or something. Okay. Well, explain that to me. Yeah. What happened? I don’t know. But then I I know I saw him bleeding. Mhm. And his leg where at on his leg? I don’t mean like right here somewhere. The inside of his left thigh. Yeah, but I did like was the blood dripping? Was it only way that I noticed it and honestly I didn’t even notice it until I start trying to stink stink stink stink. And then when I started looking at his clothes, they was bloody. The detective offers Nicole a cigarette and allows her to smoke in the interrogation room as she continues her story. What caused the boy’s injury with the blood in his thigh? I can’t remember what exactly he was playing with. And I think I yelled. I think I think I swung on him for playing with it, but I I can’t remember what. Is there a chance you you hit him afterwards? I didn’t see the thing. I didn’t I told you. You said you swallow. Yeah, cuz he was playing with something. I didn’t see the thing that I told you I didn’t see the thing that was in his leg until it was like it was just like And what was it? I I don’t I never even looked at I never even took his pants off. I just seen the blood. And I yelled at him like Well, I didn’t yell at him when I seen the blood. I yelled at him like I don’t even remember what it was. Larry’s body arrived at the medical examiner’s office still wearing Paw Patrol pajamas. His body was also covered in bruises, and while superficial wounds were found on his legs, they showed no signs of deep bleeding. However, internal bleeding was noted around both his knee and elbow, suggesting trauma before death. Like his sister, Larry’s advanced state of decomposition made it impossible to determine an exact cause of death. Although she claims not to know exactly what caused his injury, she clearly remembers what happened next. He was just like getting drowsy, like just getting drowsy. Like the last thing he said, the last thing he said, he said, “Honey, can you lay me down?” What’s that? He said, “Can I lay him down?” Can you lay him down? Yes. cuz he was sitting up in the chair and he said, “Oh my [ __ ] can you let me down?” And I said, “Yeah, honey.” And I went to smoke and I turned back around and it was like, “Stink, stink, stink, stink.” Ain’t what me. Where did you lay him down at? On the backseat of the car. Okay. And this was about two months ago. Or was it more? This month is what? Well, it’s the very end of July. I think May. Okay. About 2 months ago. Been sitting there for months and months and months and months and months. In June of 2021, Nicole sent a video to her friend showing the black and yellow tote in the back of her car and spoke about getting odor absorber. According to Nicole, the child would have already been deceased at this time and would soon join his sister in the trunk of the car. Investigators later discovered that neither child had ever seen a doctor in Maryland, had never been enrolled in school, and neither had been reported missing. One additional detail raised further concern. Both children appeared unusually small for their ages. It’s got to be a three or foury old kid. I me and my the girl was according to your timeline about 6 years old when this happened. Yes. And she only weighed 18 lbs. You think that’s after all of this? Because they were not tiny. Like you see them in the pictures. The pictures that y’all printed out are the pictures that I took. And then the boy was only 21 lbs. I don’t see how cuz they ate all the time. They ate all the time. They ate all the time. They ate everything. Like maybe I mean is that maybe a contributing factor here? No, I didn’t. If some kind of trauma happened, would it be made worse? Yeah, I didn’t starve to him though. I didn’t starve. According to doctors, however, it would have taken several months of malnourishment for the children to attain their low weights. The investigation concluded that both minor children lost their lives due to the neglect and abuse inflicted on them by their aunt Nicole. I just can’t believe they came up here and made it seem like I was some type of bad person, like I was some type of troubled person. Like, yes, I’ve been depressed all my life because I wanted a mama. But I can’t believe that she really came up here and made it seem like I was a bad person. One month after her arrest, Nicole’s mother emailed Baltimore public officials, pleading with them to intervene and protect her remaining grandchild. The email additionally criticized social workers and a shell for not safeguarding the children. Multiple news outlets reported that Dell created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for their burial. And rumors later circulated that she may have launched as many as four separate fundraisers, though all have since been deleted. Following her arrest, 33-year-old Nicole Michelle Johnson was held without bond and later indicted on 14 criminal counts. The charges included two counts each of first-degree child abuse resulting in death, firstdegree child abuse involving severe physical injury, seconddegree child abuse, seconddegree assault, neglect of a minor, failure to report the death of a minor, and unauthorized disposal of a body. She ultimately pleaded guilty on August 13th, 2024 to two counts of first-degree child abuse resulting in death. She was sentenced in February 2025 to life in prison with all but 50 years suspended as well as an additional 5 years of supervised probation upon her eventual release. If you’d like to see select new

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