Anne Kasprzak's murder took personal toll on lead detective, widow says

DRAPER — There's a saying out there that goes, "The only job harder than being a police officer is being the spouse of a police officer."

“We get used to and we become callous to them not coming home, and being out late, and working late shifts," said Shante Johnson, widow of former Draper Police Sgt. Derek Johnson who was killed in the line of duty in Sept. 2013.

“When they come home, we really get to see how it really hits home," Shante Johnson said.

She remembers how much her late husband loved his job. She also remembers how much the first murder case he was in charge of affected him.

“I remember for the first time really understanding what Derek did for a living," she said.

That case was the murder of 15-year-old Anne Kasprzak, whose body was found in the Jordan River.

“I remember it being days before Derek finally came home, and he was so exhausted. And I think he slept for, like, four hours and got up and he had like 90 voicemails," Shante Johnson said.

Derek Johnson didn't share all the details of the case with his wife, but she knew he saw things you just don't forget.

“It tore him up inside because, you know, as cops they know what happens,” she said. "He had seen the gory images ... and saw what happened to her. He had to see it and deal with it and touch it and communicate with her parents."

When Derek Johnson was promoted to sergeant, the case was given to another detective, though the sergeant stayed involved with it.

Then in 2013, Derek Johnson was shot and killed. Although he never got to see the conclusion of the case, his wife did.

“It makes me want to shout for joy, because I’m like, 'It's closed. It worked,'” Shante Johnson said. “And I know that he helped from the other side to line everything up, to bring justice to this case and closure for her family."

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