Judge hands down life sentence in Kedarie Johnson murder

The man convicted of killing a gender-fluid teen will now spend the rest of his life in jail. A judge handed down the sentence today in Burlington. 

“I do hope he gets the punishment he deserves and rots in hell,” read a letter from Katrina Johnson, the mother of the victim, Kedarie. “No punishment can ever bring back my son because it won’t be enough.”

Although the family knew what the sentence would be, the Des Moines County Attorney Amy Beavers said today helped bring closure to the family. 

“It gives them their one opportunity to address the defendant who committed this heinous crime,” she said. “So it’s a therapeutic process for the victim to go through.”

While one case closed, another opened. 

After a little more than a month in the Des Moines County Jail, police say Sanders-Galvez attacked a correctional officer with two other inmates. 

Monday was his first appearance on those charges, which are assaulting a correctional officer and attempted murder. The attack was something the Des Moines County Sheriff Mike Johnstone said he hasn’t seen during his 41 years on the force.

“We’re in a position now where our jail is overcrowded, like every other jail,” Johnstone said. “What we’d like to do is expand the ail maybe get it bigger.”

He said that would allow them to separate inmates who could be problematic.  

Beavers said they still have to try another defendant in the Kedarie Johnson case, but they will continue until everyone has been held accountable.

“It’s been a long process as murder cases can be and hopefully Kedarie’s mom felt some justice today,” Beavers said.