District Attorney Seeking Death Penalty In Pregnant Mother’s Death

The man accused of killing pregnant mother, Ashley Cannon, could now face the death penalty.

Wednesday, February 21st 2024, 4:43 pm

By: News 9, Lisa Monahan

CHICKASHA, Okla. -

The man accused of killing pregnant mother, Ashley Cannon, could now face the death penalty.

Cannon was eight and a half months pregnant in November 2020 when she and her unborn baby, Nala, were found dead inside their apartment in Chickasha.

A three-year investigation led to the arrests of a married couple in 2023; 40-year-old Kenneth Lee Johnson is charged with first-degree murder and 42-year-old Katrina Johnson is charged for helping to cover it up.

Prosecutors allege Kenneth Johnson was the father of Cannon’s unborn baby and wanted her to get an abortion because he was trying to reconcile with his wife.

When the two women got into an argument on the phone, Johnson allegedly claimed he would kill Cannon.

The probable cause affidavit shows he later informed his wife that “he just snapped” and killed her.

A blood-stained t-shirt was also discovered, according to the document. OSBI confirmed through DNA those blood stains were a match to Kenneth Johnson.

Grady County District Attorney Jason Hicks sought the death penalty in filing a request known as a "bill of particulars."

"The murder was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel,” Hicks wrote in his request, “ Johnson knowingly created a risk of death to more than one person.”

Johnson will be on trial for double homicide in the deaths of Cannon and her unborn baby.

Online court records show Johnson is represented by an attorney with the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, a state-funded agency that provides legal representation to people who can't afford to hire attorneys.

Kenneth Johnson’s next court appearance is set for April. His wife is set to appear in March.