CNN may aid in search for suspected murderer

By Brian Hassler
Staff Writer

SHIPROCK — Murder suspect Michael D. Johnson may not have his story told by "America's Most Wanted" yet, but the story of the triple homicide in Hogback will be told on television.

"I got a call from one of those television news programs like CNN and they were interested in doing a blurb on Michael Johnson," said Bill Elwell, FBI special agent. "Once we get back in touch with them, they might do a 30-second blurb on the case."

The facts of the case include the fact that Johnson, as well as Chuck Nahkai, Eugina Cowboy and Robert Manus, planned out and killed Bobby Fulton, Vickie Benally and Lars Yazzie on Nov. 7 in Hogback.

Soon after the killing, authorities arrested Cowboy and were able to connect Nahkai, Manus and Johnson but were only able to capture Nahkai and Manus.

Johnson, who originally was on the run with his girlfriend and daughter, has continued to elude authorities and even led federal agents to request having his story featured on "America's Most Wanted" in January.

"With 'America's Most Wanted', it seems to generate a lot of bad leads and right now we have some good leads that we want to continue to investigate without having to assign officers to handle all of the leads that would come from the "America's Most Wanted' exposure," said Elwell.

" 'America's Most Wanted' has always been the last resort in cases," Elwell added. "It's when you just say that you've got nothing, and we're just not at that point yet."

As for the Johnson story appearing in a 30-second blurb, Elwell has provided the information to the news network and will wait to hear when the story of the execution-style killings will be broadcast.

"The big difference between this and 'America's Most Wanted' is that it would be a re-creation instead of a 30-second blurb, and we will always have that option available," said Elwell. "'America's Most Wanted' has always been a trump card for us, to be used when we've exhausted every possible lead."

Anyone with additional information on the whereabouts of Michael D. Johnson should contact the FBI hotline at (505) 334-TIPS.