This is a timeline compiled by the Globe Gazette that outlines the dates around the drug arrests and murder convictions of Dustin Honken and his then-girlfriend Angela Johnson.
March 21, 1993 — Britt native Dustin Honken and Timothy Cutkomp, formerly of Mason City, are arrested in Mason City on drug charges.
March 26, 1993 — Honken is indicted in federal court for alleged methamphetamine trafficking in Iowa from his residence, then in Tempe, Ariz.
April 20, 1993 — Greg Nicholson testifies against Honken before a federal grand jury.
July 3, 1993 — Angela Johnson of Klemme files an application for and obtains a permit to buy a handgun. Four days later, she purchases a Tech-9 9 mm handgun at a pawn shop in Waterloo.
July 26, 1993 — Nicholson and Nicholson’s girlfriend, Lori Ann Duncan, 31, and her two daughters, 10-year-old Amber and 6-year-old Kandace, are reported missing.
Nov. 5, 1993 — Terry DeGeus, 32, of rural Britt, another potential witness in the investigation against Honken, is reported missing.
March 21, 1995 — The original charges against Honken are dismissed because witnesses could not be located.
Feb. 7, 1996 — Local, state and federal law enforcement officers execute a search warrant at Honken’s Mason City home and discover a meth lab.
April 29, 1996 — Honken and Cutkomp are arrested in Mason City for conspiring to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine from 1993 to 1996.
June 11, 1996 — Chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine are seized from a storage shed at Johnson’s home.
June 2, 1997 — Honken pleads guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and one count of attempting to manufacture the drug.
March 1994 — Cutkomp is sentenced to four years and six months on drug charges. The sentence was handed down after Cutkomp implicated Honken in manufacturing methamphetamine in 1996 and in the disappearance of Nicholson, DeGeus and the Duncans.
Sept. 11, 1997 — Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agents excavate property in Hancock County, unsuccessfully attempting to locate the five missing persons.
Feb. 24, 1998 — Honken is sentenced to 24 years in prison. The sentence was later amended to two, 27-year concurrent prison terms.
October 2000 — Jailhouse informant Robert McNeese provides authorities with two maps, with information given to him by Johnson, pointing to two spots where the bodies were located. Both were being held in the Benton County Jail.
Oct. 13, 2000 — The remains of Lori Duncan, her daughters and Nicholson are discovered buried in a wooded area just off Cerro Gordo County Road S34 west of Mason City.
Nov. 8, 2000 — The body of DeGeus is discovered in a farm field one mile west of Burchinal. The state medical examiner determined all five people died of gunshot wounds.
July and August 2001 — Indictments charging Honken and Johnson with murder are issued. The federal murder charges qualify them for the death penalty.
Oct. 9, 2002 — Honken pleads innocent to charges of murder.
April 24, 2002 — U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett rules that any evidence found as a result of jailhouse notes from Robert McNeese inadmissible in the case against Johnson.
Feb. 13, 2003 — Federal prosecutors argue in an appeal that Robert McNeese was not a government agent when obtaining the two locations of the five murdered victims.
Feb. 18, 2003 — A federal judge denies a request to release the remains of the five victims, ruling the bodies are key evidence in the on-going cases.
September 2004 — Honken murder trial begins in Sioux City.
October 2004 — Honken found guilty of the murders of DeGeus, Nicholson and the Duncans.
May 2005 — Johnson murder trial begins in Sioux City, and she is found guilty of the five murders later that month.
October 2005 — Dustin Honken sentenced to death for the murders.
December 2005 — Angela Johnson sentenced to death for the murders.
January 2006 — Both Angela Johnson and Dustin Honken appeal their convictions to the Eighth District U.S. Court of Appeals.
September 2008 — Honken appeal denied.
November 2008 — Johnson appeal denied.
October 2009 — Johnson seeks new trial or to have her death sentence vacated.
December 2009 — Honken’s request for post-conviction relief denied.
March 2011 — Johnson’s hearing for a new trial held in Sioux City.
March 22, 2012 — U.S. District Court Judge Mark Bennett throws out Johnson’s death sentence. Prosecutors have 60 days to file an appeal.
10 Comments
I had no idea Johnson was up for a new trial not did I realize her death sentence was overturned. This is terrible news.
she just needs to die.
I am happy for angela if you knew the facts you would know that she didn’t do it. Now hopefully she will be able to hug her girls and grandbaby . I know it has been years. you people don’t know what it is like to be convicted for just being some idiots girlfriend. who r u to judge her?? only god will and he has released one of her chains can’t wait till she is free
She may weasel out of a death sentence, but it has been confirmed she will never get anything less then life in prison.
Yes, we all know Angela is innocent and only guilty of being a girlfriend. Many girlfriends know where their boyfriends have buried 5 bodies including 2 little girls. She was already in jail awaitimg trial on another charge that I am sure she was innocent of too when she just happened to draw the map that led to the grizzly discovery of 5 murder victims. She is an absolute model citizen!
She wasn’t already in jail awaiting trial on another charge, get your facts straight Tony!! Colten Williamson, with your history I wouldn’t be throwing stones at anyone! There has been so much hearsay and projection about her involvement, its ludicrous to think she could ever get a fair trial in such a biased state. No one in Iowa really cares about the truth, all they want is someone to pay for a crime, regardless of who it is being used as the scapegoat. God forgive those who sit in judgement of Angela Johnson.
Well you also have to look at the fact that there is solid proof that
Angela led a major part in the death of her victims. No, she did not
pull the trigger but had she not aided Dustin it wouldn’t have happened
(not saying Dustin wouldn’t do it without her help). But has she shown
any shred of remorse for her actions? Not an apology? Instead we see
pictures of her and Dustin smirking in the press photos. Do I truly
believe in capitol punishment? No I really don’t. But when she seems to
have no sympathy for her victims or her family, and from what I’ve heard
from her family, she is actually doing just fine in jail. She even has friends from what I’ve heard.
That’s where I’m coming from. She’s guilty of what she’s done. Death
sentence or not, it would be nice for the victim’s family to finally
have some closure.
Do you know her personally? Or are you just blogging? Iowa is a biased state? Ha! Do you not agree killing (or being a part of) innocent people is a crime? And she was a scapegoat? According to the testimony, she was a “Hot head” and wanted to eliminate people. That was what Dustin was afraid of, probably not wanting attention drawn to them. She may be “excused” on this earth, but not the next!
I sat in the county jail in cedar rapids iowa she is a good woman ive grown to love her and I hate those that judge her! Yea you are so right
I knew Angie well, was friends with her and Dustin also! I too never wanted to believe that she could have done something so terrible….but she is just as guilty as Dustin. I remember when they found the bodies and what scares me the most, is thinking of what those poor children must have been thinking during that horrific time. It is what it is… it’s all done and my opinion is… I think they both deserve the death penalty.