By America’s Premier Lawyers
September 11, 2009
In this powerful radio interview, Mr. Kurtz discusses his work in the case of Swope v. Johnson. Brandy L. Swope, 26, was the only child of plaintiffs Ronald and Patricia Swope. On Oct. 12, 1996, she married defendant Todd Johnson. They had been married for 26 months at the time of her death on Dec. 19, 1998. She died of 26 separate and significant knife wounds all over her body. Johnson called 911 and said that his wife had committed suicide. He later signed a six-page statement admitting that he had killed her. However, with the help of expert testimony, including that of a human fatigue expert who explained away the confession, Johnson was found not guilty in the criminal trial. In the criminal trial, Johnson claimed that his paramour, Revonna Nutt, with whom he had sex on the night of Swope’s death, killed his wife. Nutt invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to testify in front of the jury in Johnson’s criminal trial. The Swopes brought the instant wrongful death action against both Johnson and Nutt. A jury found Johnson 100 percent liable and awarded plaintiffs $30 million, including $15 million in punitive damages.
John W. Kurtz is a highly accomplished attorney whose firm oversees an estate planning and elder law practice that gives him the opportunity to help people manage their assets and take control of their futures. John holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri, a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a law degree from the University of Missouri Columbia School of Law. Read More.
