Missouri anti-death penalty group organizes fundraiser for daughter of Kevin Johnson

A statewide organization that advocates for the abolition of the death penalty has launched a fundraiser to benefit the 19-year-old daughter of Kevin Johnson, who was executed by the state Tuesday night for the 2005 killing of a St. Louis-area police officer.

The fundraiser, set up through GoFundMe, seeks to provide assistance to help the young woman pay for her father’s funeral expenses. The effort was organized by Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, a group that considers capital punishment immoral.

“Kevin Johnson’s daughter, Khorry is so very thankful to all who have shown her, her dad, and their family so much love and support,” the webpage says, adding that she is “devastated by the loss” and in need of financial help.

Johnson, 37, was executed by lethal injection Tuesday and pronounced dead at 7:40 p.m., according to the Missouri Department of Corrections. His death sentence stemmed from his conviction on a first-degree murder charge in the shooting of Sgt. William McEntee of the Kirkwood Police Department.

Johnson was 19 years old when he shot McEntee, a husband and father of three, as the officer was inside his patrol car.

According to court testimony, McEntee was among police officers who responded to Johnson’s residence in July 2005 in response to a medical emergency involving Johnson’s 12-year-old brother, who later died in the hospital. Prosecutors cast the motive for the killing as revenge, saying Johnson believed McEntee was in part to blame for his brother’s death.

McEntee was shot by Johnson on July 5, 2005 after returning to the neighborhood to investigate a separate report.

Johnson did not dispute the fact that he killed McEntee. But he and his advocates hoped to have his sentence commuted to life in prison, saying he had been rehabilitated since then and had expressed remorse for his actions.

Johnson, his lawyers and other advocates sought to stay his execution through legal challenges that were ultimately denied by the Missouri Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

The latest challenge claimed violations of Johnson’s constitutional rights.

Johnson, who is Black, was convicted on charges pursued by then-St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch, whose own father was a police officer killed in the line of duty. On Monday, special prosecutor E.E. Keenan argued before the Missouri Supreme Court that Johnson’s trial was racially biased because of McCulloch.

Keenan found that McCulloch sought the death penalty in four out of five cases involving a police officer death during his career. All four of those defendants were Black. The defendant was white in the sole case where the death penalty was not sought.

Johnson was found guilty during his first trial of the lesser offense of second-degree murder. During the second trial, Keenan alleged McCulloch intentionally eliminated Black jurors from the jury pool to ensure a first-degree murder conviction, which is a prerequisite for a death sentence.

The Missouri Supreme Court ultimately ruled 5-2 against issuing a stay of execution. The U.S. Supreme Court also denied that request. And earlier this week, Gov. Mike Parson — who had the power to stop the execution through a clemency action — said he would allow Johnson’s death sentence to be carried out.

Johnson’s daughter, Khorry, petitioned for the opportunity to view her father’s execution but that request was denied. Under state law, witnesses must be at least 21 years old to watch an execution.

The Star’s Katie Moore contributed to this report.