Richland Township police charged David L. Johnson, 36, of Johnstown, with criminal homicide and aggravated assault after police said Johnson turned himself in for murdering Allison Vaughn, a 2007 Pitt-Johnstown graduate.
Vaughn reportedly was graduated at Pitt-Johnstown with an accounting degree.
According to the criminal complaint and supporting affidavit filed March 31 at District Justice John Barron’s office in Stonycreek Township, Johnson said he came to Johnstown from Pittsburgh because he was placed in a halfway house in the city.
He met Vaughn about a year ago, and they moved in together, the affidavit said.
Johnson’s criminal history revealed prior arrests and convictions for felony drug violations, aggravated assault and driving under the influence, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit said at about 2:59 a.m., Johnson arrived at Richland Township Police station and told Officer Dave Morgan that he wanted to turn himself in and that he just killed his girlfriend at 110 Parkside Dr.
Johnson told Morgan he and Vaughn were high on crack (cocaine). Johnson was then taken into custody with no further questioning, according to the affidavit.
Richland patrol officers then responded to the residence and found Vaughn covered in blankets and towels and lying face down on the floor.
The officers confirmed she was dead, secured the scene and called for assistance, the affidavit said.
Detective Thomas E. Kerin provided Johnson with a written form of his constitutional rights and a warning on False Reports to Law Enforcement.
Johnson signed both forms and chose to talk to Kerin without an attorney present, the affidavit said.
Johnson told Kerin that he wanted to take full responsibility for his actions and that he knew what he had done was wrong, according to the affidavit.
Johnson admitted that he began to smoke crack cocaine in 2009 and is still an addict, the affidavit said.
Johnson stated that he was home when Vaughn came home at 7:45 p.m. after going to happy hour at Quaker Steak and Lube after her work day at First Summit Bank, according to the affidavit.
The two were on the couch when Johnson said he wanted to get more crack and would need Vaughn’s ATM personal identification number to get the cash out for the drugs, the affidavit said.
Vaughn began to argue with Johnson before he then picked up a knife and threatened her by holding it to her throat, the affidavit said.
When she began to struggle, Johnson said he stabbed her in the neck twice. Vaughn was still struggling, so he strangled her with an electrical cord until she stopped, according to the affidavit.
Johnson said that he felt Vaughn would not comply with his request, so he put a roll of duct tape and the knife near the couch as a scare tactic.
He taped her mouth, hands and feet before he left with her ATM card to get money for drugs, the affidavit said.
Johnson took $300 out of Vaughn’s account and then went to buy more crack. He returned to the house, smoked some crack and then left to try to take out more money, according to the affidavit.
When Johnson was unable to retrieve more money, he returned to the house again, took Vaughn’s Chevrolet Trail Blazer and drove around.
The final time Johnson returned to the house, he felt Vaughn’s leg, and it was cold, the affidavit said.
He then showered to clean the blood off himself and changed.
Johnson said he was thinking about what he had done and knew he had to turn himself in, the affidavit said.
Johnson said he left the house at approximately 2:45 a.m. March 31 in Vaughn’s car to go to the Richland Township Police station, then called 911 from his cell phone and admitted to killing Vaughn, the affidavit said.
Alpha Kappa Psi President Lex Winkelman said that Vaughn was a former president of the fraternity.
“We plan to send yellow roses to the funeral home because that is our fraternity’s flower,” Winkelman said.
