A woman indicted in the disturbing murder of 8-year-old Martonio Wilder will spend at least the next 15 years in prison following her guilty plea. Johnna Lowe, who was charged in connection with the child’s death, pleaded guilty Thursday to murder and gross abuse of a corpse.
She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. Lowe had faced multiple charges, including murder, felonious assault, child endangerment, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. She was indicted alongside the boy’s mother, Lashanda Wilder, in a case that triggered a statewide Amber Alert for Wilder’s two other children.
According to the Daily Mail, the tragic case began on June 28, 2024, when Lashanda Wilder called 911 to report Martonio missing from their home on Olmstead Avenue in Columbus’s Milo-Grogan neighborhood. However, police said Wilder quickly became uncooperative upon their arrival and left the scene with her other two children, then aged 9 and 3.
Despite initial claims that Martonio had run away, investigators later found the boy’s body around 6:30 p.m. that same day. His remains were discovered hidden in the attic, placed inside a garbage bag and wrapped in a sleeping bag cover. According to the Franklin County Coroner’s Office, Martonio died from “deep neck compression.”
Authorities say both women admitted to assaulting Martonio multiple times in the past and revealed that on the day of his death, they planned to claim he had run away. They allegedly delayed calling police in order to execute their cover story. The case intensified when an Amber Alert was issued for the two missing children.
Fortunately, they were later found safe at the home of an acquaintance of Johnna Lowe. Lowe and Wilder both surrendered to authorities on June 29. Adding to the complexity of the case, Lowe’s mother, Mary Johnson, has also been charged with obstruction of justice, report by Columbus-based ABC affiliate WSYX.
Johnson reportedly called police to report the whereabouts of the two children, but only five hours after the initial 911 call. The investigation has revealed a deeply troubling pattern of abuse, with both women admitting to past instances of choking and physically assaulting the child.
Lashanda Wilder is scheduled for her next court appearance—a status hearing—on July 15, where further developments in the case are expected. The sentencing brings some measure of accountability in a case that has shaken the community and underscored the critical importance of child protection and vigilance.
