Dutchtown Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Rape of Relative
December 3, 2024

Will Serve 10 Years in Missouri Department of Corrections


ST. LOUIS, MO (December 3, 2024) — Donald Johnson, 49, pleaded guilty to the attempted rape of an 18-year-old female relative on October 17, 2023, in the 4200 block of South Grand Boulevard in the City’s Dutchtown neighborhood.


The relative had been living with Johnson for a few months when he asked her to engage in sexual behavior with him. When she refused, he became enraged, pushed her onto the couch and straddled her. She repeatedly told him to stop and tried to push him away, but he slapped her and grabbed her hands, holding them over her head while he tried to remove her pants. The victim managed to kick him away and contact a friend for help.


After the friend arrived, the victim called police and reported the incident. She subsequently learned that Johnson was a registered sex offender who had spent time in prison for child molestation and criminal sexual assault.


Johnson will serve a 10-year prison sentence for the attempted rape.


The case was prosecuted by Assistant Circuit Attorney Sherry Wolk.


“Sex crimes perpetrated against young victims by their own family members are all too common, and often go unreported,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “We are grateful that this young woman had the courage not only to defend herself, but also to report this traumatic event to police.”


Johnson’s case number in Case.net is 2322-CR02898-01.



                                                   ###


For Immediate Release

For more information contact:

Amber Raub

Public Information Officer

St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office

rauba@stlouiscao.org

314-589-6233 (office)

314-312-9912 (cell)

More News

May 24, 2025
ST. LOUIS, MO (May 23, 2025) — James Cody Jr., 30, was found guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action by a jury on Friday for the March 8, 2022, murder of Michael Kelly, 72, in the 3900 block of North 25th Street in the City’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The case stemmed from an ongoing landlord-tenant dispute. Mr. Kelly, the victim, was the landlord of a residence on the 4000 block of North 22nd Street, where Cody’s girlfriend, Deseray Rabb, had stopped paying rent. Despite a court-ordered eviction, Rabb refused to vacate the property. As the legal process unfolded, Cody, who was not listed on the lease but was the father of Rabb’s three children, began threatening Mr. Kelly. On the morning of the murder, surveillance footage captured Cody following Mr. Kelly as he drove to his office. Once parked, Cody was seen approaching the vehicle with a rifle and fatally shooting him. A Nissan Sentra rented under Rabb’s name was spotted in the area and later recovered with ballistic damage concealed by duct tape. Cody was arrested days later at a St. Louis County motel, where he and Rabb were staying with their children. The jury recommended a sentence of 25 years for second-degree murder and 10 years for armed criminal action. Cody’s sentencing is scheduled for June 27, 2025. Deseray Rabb, Cody’s girlfriend and co-defendant, was charged with accessory to first-degree murder and accessory to armed criminal action. She was acquitted by the jury. Tanja Engelhardt, Homicide Unit Chief, and Assistant Circuit Attorneys Timothy Wright and Emily Price prosecuted the case. “This was a ruthless, targeted killing over a lawful eviction. This senseless act of violence has destroyed multiple families. We will relentlessly prosecute those who choose to settle disputes with gun violence to the fullest extent of the law,” said St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. Cody’s case number is 2322-CR01089.
May 19, 2025
Robert Harper, 43, was sentenced following a guilty plea on Monday to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action for shooting his former girlfriend.
May 15, 2025
Charles Anderson, 66, was found guilty by a jury on Thursday of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, and three counts of armed criminal action in connection to a 2021 shooting that killed two people and injured another in the 2900 block of Kossuth Avenue in the City’s Fairground neighborhood.