Plymouth couple sentenced to 1 year after 7-year-old son’s death

A couple from the west metro who fled the country after being charged in connection with their adopted son’s death learned their punishment Tuesday afternoon.

Hennepin County Judge Carolina Lamas sentenced 45-year-old Sarah Johnson and 46-year-old Timothy Johnson to each serve a year in the county workhouse, the maximum penalty, for child neglect.

Prosecutors say that in 2015, 7-year-old Seth Johnson was found unresponsive in the Johnsons’ Plymouth home. Investigators say the boy had bruises and breaks on his skin.

Court documents show the boy was placed in foster care with the couple when he was three.

Before he died, the parents said their son was sick, but they refused to take him to the doctor. An autopsy showed the boy had died from acute pancreatitis and possible sepsis. He was below the 10th percentile in his age group for growth measurements.

When the couple fled to New Zealand after being charged in 2016, warrants were issued for their arrest. Those warrants weren’t cleared until July 2022, and court proceedings began later that month.

Before they were sentenced, the Johnsons spoke, noting their adopted children had drugs and alcohol in their systems at birth that left them with issues.

“Our son had issues that made it difficult to determine his mental, physical, emotional and mental state. His conditions also caused many behavioral issues,” Timothy Johnson said.

He also said they’ve always tried to look for people in need and help when they could, and they felt they could help their children.

“We thought we were good people, we thought we were good parents. The reality is we got it wrong,” Timothy Johnson said.

“We desperately wish we would’ve made different choices. I want you to know that we carry the guilt of losing our son every single day and we wish more than anything that we would’ve made different choices,” Sarah Johnson added.

Judge Lamas noted letters in support of the couple and told them, “I think your remorse is evident and it’s clear you’ve thought a lot about this.”

However, she added, “Every day in my courtroom, I see good people that made a mistake, and mistakes have consequences.”

Lamas also noted the neglect lasted at least several weeks, and while many gross misdemeanor cases handle incidents that could’ve resulted in something bad happening, in the Johnsons’ case, the worst did happen.

“When I compare your case to other similarly charged offenses, it is clear that the facts in your case could not be more onerous than other similarly charged offenses. For that reason, I am pronouncing the maximum sentence in your cases,” Lamas said.

The sentence also prompted the Johnsons’ attorney to immediately urge the judge to reconsider, saying he doesn’t ever recall asking a judge to reconsider immediately after the sentence but, “I don’t think this is the appropriate sentence.”

The couple will be allowed to have input regarding when they have to turn themselves in to serve their sentences, and Lamas noted that one may serve the sentence before the other so their other children don’t lose both parents for a year.