ST. JOHN, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
A St. John, Missouri, mother is accused of murdering her 2-month-old baby boy by suffocating him with a pacifier and a receiving blanket. But the baby's grandmother says her daughter is innocent. St. John police investigators say Stacy Johnson, 30, confessed to what happened during her third police interview.
Johnson is charged with murder second degree and first degree endangering the welfare of a child. They say she suffocated her infant child identified as Tyler Goss by putting a pacifier in his mouth, then wrapping a receiving blanket around his mouth and nose to try and keep the pacifier in his mouth.
Police say they responded to Johnson's home on Endicott in the early morning hours of the Fourth of July after getting a 911 call for an infant not breathing.
Investigators say Johnson put Tyler down about 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. last Friday. Then, they say Tyler started to fuss and that's when Johnson put the pacifier in his mouth and the blanket around his face to try and keep him quiet.
Police are stunned by what Johnson allegedly did.
The Assistant St. John Police Chief, Captain J.R. Morris, said, "It played a toll on everybody. It hits very close to home, we all have children here. You can't fathom doing anything like that, at least I can't. I've been in the business a long time and I still, it seems foreign- how do you explain something like that."
But Johnson's mother says her daughter would never hurt her kids. She calls the charges false. "I'm very shocked that something like that has been said," said Teresa Johnson.
We asked her what she wanted people to know about her daughter. "That she was a good mother and she loved her children," replied Johnson.
We're told Tyler was born two to three months premature. Johnson also has three other children ranging from one to six years old. They are staying with other family members.
Teresa tells us her daughter had done the same thing with the pacifier and the blanket once before and Tyler was fine.
Johnson is jailed on a $200,000 cash only bond.
Police say state officials had been called to the home several times over concerns about the other children. But no charges were ever filed.
Johnson is charged with murder second degree and first degree endangering the welfare of a child. They say she suffocated her infant child identified as Tyler Goss by putting a pacifier in his mouth, then wrapping a receiving blanket around his mouth and nose to try and keep the pacifier in his mouth.
Police say they responded to Johnson's home on Endicott in the early morning hours of the Fourth of July after getting a 911 call for an infant not breathing.
Investigators say Johnson put Tyler down about 7:00 or 7:30 p.m. last Friday. Then, they say Tyler started to fuss and that's when Johnson put the pacifier in his mouth and the blanket around his face to try and keep him quiet.
Police are stunned by what Johnson allegedly did.
The Assistant St. John Police Chief, Captain J.R. Morris, said, "It played a toll on everybody. It hits very close to home, we all have children here. You can't fathom doing anything like that, at least I can't. I've been in the business a long time and I still, it seems foreign- how do you explain something like that."
But Johnson's mother says her daughter would never hurt her kids. She calls the charges false. "I'm very shocked that something like that has been said," said Teresa Johnson.
We asked her what she wanted people to know about her daughter. "That she was a good mother and she loved her children," replied Johnson.
We're told Tyler was born two to three months premature. Johnson also has three other children ranging from one to six years old. They are staying with other family members.
Teresa tells us her daughter had done the same thing with the pacifier and the blanket once before and Tyler was fine.
Johnson is jailed on a $200,000 cash only bond.
Police say state officials had been called to the home several times over concerns about the other children. But no charges were ever filed.
