Mother charged with murder of 8-year-old daughter enters plea in Merced County court

The mother of 8-year-old Sophia Mason made her first appearance in Merced Superior Court on Monday, where she stands accused of murder and felony child abuse in the child’s death.

Wearing a yellow jailhouse jumpsuit and glasses, Samantha Johnson, 31, showed little emotion during the brief arraignment hearing, pleading not guilty to the charges.

Meanwhile co-defendant in the case, Dhante Jackson, 34, remains at large with a murder warrant for his arrest. Merced police have offered a $3,000 award for information leading to Jackson’s arrest.

Deputy District Attorney Katie Gates, the prosecutor in the case, said because the investigation is ongoing she could not elaborate on the case’s details. She did say the death penalty is not currently being considered for Johnson.

Deputy Public Defender Beth Ann Lee, Johnson’s defense attorney, emphasized that her client is innocent until proven guilty, asking the public to keep an open mind.

Lee also said there is more to the story that the public hasn’t heard. “I believe personally that there were two victims of Mr. Jackson,” Lee said. “One survived and one didn’t.”

Sophia’s body was found on March 11, after Merced police arrived at a two-story home on Barclay Way, acting on a tip from Hayward police from information given to them by Johnson.

Sophia’s body was found in a bathtub inside the house, curled in a fetal position.

Since then, more information has emerged about some of the circumstances that may have preceded Sophia’s death. Most prominently, Merced police believe Jackson, 34, murdered and abused Sophia — and has been on the run ever since.

The police reports from the investigation into Sophia’s death also contain horrific details that she was treated with extreme cruelty, based on Johnson’s statements to detectives that Jackson had brutally sexually and physically abused Sophia and kept her in a shed in back of the house, the documents say.

Dhante Jackson is described as 5-feet-11-inches tall, weighing around 220 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Police believe he is currently in the San Francisco Bay Area and had been working there before Sophia’s body was found. He also has family in the Bay Area.

Anyone with information about the case or Jackson’s whereabouts can call Detective John Pinnegar at 209-388-7712 or write to pinnegarj@cityofmerced.org.

Tips are kept confidential and you can remain anonymous.

Tips can also be made through Crime Stoppers or the Merced police website.

This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 9:36 AM.