The team at Reasonable Doubt tackle the controversial case of Tammy Lynn Baker, who was 8-months pregnant when she was murdered by a pipe bomb left on the sidewalk outside her apartment building. Her ex-boyfriend Mike Johson is currently serving time for her murder.
On December 3, 1997, Baker stepped out of her apartment in the small town of Louisa, Virginia, and picked up a trash can lid, which caused the detonation of a bomb that killed her and her fetus.
Debris from the explosion covered an area of over 600 feet, and the blast was heard 10-miles away.
Prosecutors argued that the killer was her ex-boyfriend, Coleman Leake Johnson Jr. (known as Mike by his acquaintances) and that his motive was to avoid paying child support.
Mike Johnson knew how to make pipe bombs
Acquaintances of Johnson told a jury that he knew how to make pipe bombs and that he had previously expressed anger over the issue of child support. An ex-girlfriend also recounted how Jonhson had told her he would be in Louisa on the night before Baker died.
Two inmates acted as witnesses testifying that Johnson had confessed to them that he committed the crime but that he’d only meant to kill the fetus.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelJohnson’s defense lawyer argued that there was no forensic evidence to tie him to the crime. They also pointed to two unsolved bombings that occurred in Louisa just 5-months after Baker’s murder, arguing that her death may have been the work of a serial bomber. Johnson had a strong alibi for those bombs.
Johson’s mother claimed that her son was at home on the night before the bombing and would have found it impossible to sneak out past her, where she slept on the couch.
The defense also speculated that the bomb might have been intended for Baker’s roommate, and pointed to Johnson’s clean record.
A federal jury spent six hours deliberating before pronouncing him guilty. He narrowly avoided the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison.
More from Reasonable Doubt
Follow the links to read about more murders where there is reasonable doubt.
Tracy Fortson was a sheriff’s deputy in rural Georgia when she was charged with murdering boyfriend Doug Benton. Despite a wealth of evidence against Fortson, she claims the local law enforcement authorities framed her for the crime.
Lorie Lance Lee died of smoke inhalation in 1992 in Nashville, Tennessee; her boyfriend Claude Garrett was accused of murdering her by arson. However, many now believe it was a tragic accident.
Reasonable Doubt airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.
Mike didn’t do it. The jury was undecided and left it up to the federal judge which convicted him also creating a new bill having to do with unborn fetus. A total setup
you must be his boyfriend…she found out and he killed her to keep her quiet
In order for someone else to have planted the bomb it requires a remarkable coincidence of timing. Mike had a brief fling with Tammy for sex and never figured that she would so quickly become pregnant. He was a controlling type of man. Tammy died a horrific death while he gets to have 3 meals a day and healthcare. He cleverly planted a couple other bombs to make police think their was a serial bomber, but he was in fact the serial bomber. After the other 2 bombs of minor damage there were no more bombings ever reported. He is lucky to be in a prison rather than having gotten the death penalty for such a heinous murder.
Agree completely!
the above mentioned case is the Courtney coco case in RAPIDES PARISH which is notoriously crooked anyway