Dad beats mom, 10-year-old son to death, then shoots self (Lebanon, Missouri)

It appears that dad TODD JOHNSON beat his wife and 10-year-old son to death, and then shot himself to death in his car at a separate location. An 8-year-old, for some unexplained reason, was not physically harmed. The blathering neighbors can only say how "great" everybody was. And you know this--how? Doesn't seem to me that somebody who beats two members of his family to death is that "great" at all . Get a freaking clue. I'm sure these morons had NO IDEA what really went on in that family, especially behind closed doors. The morons never do.

http://ozarksfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=228252

Father in Double Homicide Died from Gunshot Wound
Jennifer Denman
Saturday, Jan 23, 2010 @04:50pm CST

(Lebanon, MO) -- The man whose wife and child were found murdered Friday in Lebanon appears to have died from a gunshot wound.

That's according to autopsies completed Saturday in Springfield.

Laclede County Sheriff Richard Wrinkle says 10-year-old Blake Johnson and his mother, 40-year-old Sheila Johnson, died from blunt and sharp force trauma to the head and neck.

The two were found dead in separate rooms inside their Lebanon home in the 19000 block of Goldenwood Lane Friday.

The sheriff says a relative got a message and alerted police to check on the well being of the people at the home around 7:00 a.m. Friday.

When a family friend arrived at the house, an eight-year-old answered the door. That child is now in protective services.

The sheriff asked the public to help find the father, Todd Johnson, whose vehicle was found at 3:30 p.m. in a quarry about a mile from Lebanon.

His body was inside the vehicle, which was submerged in about six feet of water.

Family members had to identify the body by scars and marks due to the wreckage.

Following Saturday's autopsy, Sheriff Wrinkle says Todd Johnon's death is consistent to suicidal intentions. However, he says there's a need for further investigation before a final determination can be made.

On Friday, both elementary schools where those children attended were put on preventative lock down by the district as a precautionary measure.

Neighbors say they're shocked. They say the family was great and everyone only had nice things to say to me about them.

"They were a great family," says Tony Lucas, a family friend. "You know they cared. It's hard to believe what happened, because they loved their kids, they loved each other."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to this family because it's very devastating and obviously our staff and students are taking it very difficulty," says Superintendent Duane Widhalm.

Blake Johnson was a fifth grader at Boswell Elementary School. The Johnson family is well known in the community.

Todd managers four Sonics in the area. Corporate decided to close those business Friday.