Joshua Johnson charged with killing his father

SHAWANO COUNTY - We're learning more about the apparent murder of a Birnamwood man.

Joshua Johnson, 20, has now been charged with killing his father Donald Johnson.

Joshua Johnson made his initial appearance in Shawano County court Thursday.

More than 30 people filled Judge Habeck's courtroom, many of them family of Joshua Johnson. Their faces filled with looks of confusion and disbelief.

"Since I've been the district attorney, this is the most gruesome murder that I have seen and the detectives who have been here many, many years have expressed the same concern,” said Shawano County District Attorney Gregory Parker.

According to Parker, Johnson shot his father with a 20-gauge shotgun shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday. Donald Johnson then tried to tackle his son. At that point, Joshua Johnson told detectives he began to beat his father in the head with the butt of the shotgun. Joshua Johnson then said he attacked his father with a metal stove handle and a fillet knife.

According to the criminal complaint, Johnson said he tried to break his father’s neck by jumping on his head, but when that didn't work he slit his father's throat. Once Donald Johnson was dead, Johnson then called authorities saying, according to the complaint, "The deed is done."

The Fond du Lac County Medical Examiner's Office says preliminary results show Donald Johnson bled to death as a result of injuries he sustained.

Judge Habeck set bail at $500,000.

Parker says the high cash bond is because of the severity of the crime. Johnson's attorney Jared Redfield says the next step will be to conduct a psychological evaluation for his client.

"We intend to go forward with this case,” said Redfield. “We intend to indicate, to enter a plea of not guilty to the underlying crime and also intending to ask for a not guilty by reason of mental disease, as a separate plea."

Redfield says the relationship between father and son was strained. He would not go into specific details.

Johnson's family declined to comment to the media after the hearing.

The Shawano County Sheriff says the investigation is ongoing.

An official cause of death for Donald Johnson is expected in one to two weeks when toxicology reports are finished.