A journey without justice.
That’s how one member of 8-year-old Sophia Mason’s family described the last four years following the discovery of the child’s decomposing body in a north Merced home.
On Thursday, the defendant in the death of Sophia, her mother Samantha Johnson, entered into a plea agreement that one day will result in her release from state prison.
Wearing a yellow jailhouse jumpsuit, Johnson, 34, clutched a Bible, but otherwise showed no emotion while pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter and felony child abuse charges in Merced County Superior Court.
Under the plea agreement in Judge Steven Slocum’s court, Johnson was sentenced to 15 years, eight months in prison for her daughter’s death. Because of the time Johnson has already served in jail with other credits, she could be released from prison in just under 12 years.
Up until Thursday’s hearing she was facing a first degree murder charge, which would have had a maximum lifetime prison sentence, if convicted. The murder charge was dropped by the prosecution, in lieu of the plea agreement.
Merced County District Attorney Nicole Silveira told The Merced FOCUS her office entered into the plea agreement based on an evaluation of the case’s evidence.
Silveira said her office had conducted search warrants in the case just a few months ago. “The circumstances under which Sophia was discovered and things were reported presented some challenges in the evidentiary value of what could be entered into court,” Silveira told The FOCUS.
“It has come out in court (that) she was found deceased in a bath tub. The coroner did not have a cause of death, and we really didn’t have a definitive time of death, as far as independent evidence from the coroner or other forensic professionals. So then we have to look at other corroborating evidence and what we can prove. So, it’s really looking at the totality of the circumstances.”
“Instead of protecting (Sophia), you allowed her to suffer and die. You chose to prioritize your own selfishness over her life.”
Lynn Linnen, aunt of Sophia Mason, in court comments made to Samantha Johnson
A group of Sophia’s family members traveled to Merced from far as the Bay Area, for Thursday’s hearing. Lynn Linnen, Sophia’s aunt, directed her comments in court directly at Johnson, but the defendant refused to make eye contact.
Linnen said she had asked Johnson to leave Sophia with her, but the defendant responded she was “tired of people telling her what to do with her child.”
“I remember hugging Sophia and telling her one last time ‘it would be OK.’ I remember asking the police to not allow you to rip Sophia away from the people who had nurtured and loved her all of her life. You made a choice, and chose to take accountability for her safety and well being. You failed. Instead of protecting her, you allowed her to suffer and die. You chose to prioritize your own selfishness over her life.”
Several impact statements written by members of Sophia’s family were also read in court. Some, like Sophia’s aunt, Emerald Johnson, expressed disappointment in the case’s outcome.
“Samantha is getting sentenced to not even a quarter of the sentence that she really deserves,” Emerald wrote. “Samantha not only participated, but allowed her daughter to endure unimaginable pain and suffering. This isn’t justice. Sophia didn’t get to live her life. Her life was cut short.”
Melinda Mayfield wrote that she often wonders how tall her niece would be now, what the sound of her voice would be like, and whether she would continue to be musical, artistic and curious.
“We can only wonder about these things because our Sophia was taken away from us too soon by no fault of her own. Sophia was ripped from her life and our lives mercilessly. The lack of humanity shown to our precious Sophia screams for accountability,” Mayfield said.
Mayfield also referred to Johnson as “a shell of a woman” who betrayed her own child in the worst possible way. “The actions committed have had a devastating and lasting impact on Sophia’s family and friends. We have found no justice on this journey, for the senseless loss of our Sophia,” she said.
District Attorney responds to family’s frustration
Asked about the disappointment expressed by Sophia’s family members over Johnson’s sentence, Silveira said she recognizes why they would feel justice was not served.
“There is no legal outcome that can undo the tragedy of what happened to Sophia Mason,” Silveira said.
“She will forever be 8 years old because of Samantha Johnson and what she did to her. We sympathize in that outrage, we share in that outrage, but we are bound by legal principles and what we believe gives us the best result based on the evidence and what the defendant is willing to plead guilty to. These are all considerations…as well as the family’s wishes.”
Lauri Partin, the deputy public defender who represented Johnson, was approached by The Merced FOCUS to answer questions about her client after Thursday’s hearing, but she responded by saying “no comment.”
“There is no legal outcome that can undo the tragedy of what happened to Sophia Mason.”
Nicole Silveira, Merced County District Attorney
Sophia’s body was discovered curled in a fetal position on March 11, 2022 by Merced police inside the bathroom of a home on Barclay Way. Merced police had arrived at the home, reporting on a tip from Hayward police, who had been investigating Sophia’s disappearance. Investigators estimated the child had been dead for about a month.
During much of her short life, Sophia had been raised by her grandmother and other family members in the Bay Area. Family members told The Merced FOCUS the grandmother ultimately signed off on the plea agreement with prosecutors, seeking closure.
As reported by the San Jose Mercury News, Sophia was nicknamed “So-So” and had a happy life with her grandmother and other family members. There are videos of her playing guitar, and being carefree on playground equipment.
Family members told the Merced Sun-Star back in 2022 Johnson had been mostly absent during the first seven years of Sophia’s life. But in 2021 she took the child away against their wishes. Family members say Sophia’s life with her mother was marked by frequent moves, and they suspect Johnson was involved in prostitution.
Eventually Sophia ended up with her mother in Merced. Statements in Merced police reports suggest the child suffered extreme cruelty living with her mother, including being kept in a shed and subjected to unfathomable abuse.
After Sophia’s body was found, Johnson was charged with murder in the case, along with Dhante Jackson, 37. Jackson went on the run after Sophia’s body was discovered, but he was captured months later in the Bay Area community of Newark.
Jackson was released with time served in October last year after a murder charge was dropped against him. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of accessory to murder.
A failure of the system
Thursday’s hearing ended the criminal case against Johnson, but for some of the government agencies involved, the potential legal ramifications are far from over.
Sophia’s family members said they repeatedly pleaded with Alameda County social workers after the child was taken by Johnson, saying they suspected she was in danger.
The family says their cries for help were ignored – and those aren’t the only indications the system likely failed Sophia.
A Bay Area News Group investigation found numerous red flags that Alameda County allegedly failed to address. For example, social workers received at least seven reports that Sophia was being abused during the period she was with Johnson.
Alameda County social workers allegedly declined to intervene after the child showed up at a San Leandro hospital with suspicious bruises and apparent cigarette burns.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, the California State Auditor’s Office found Alameda County social workers missed their 24-hour deadline to start “immediate referral” investigations up to 11% of the time.
Sophia’s grandmother has a pending civil suit against Alameda County, accusing social workers of inaction leading to the child’s death.
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors also authorized their own internal investigation into the case. Those results are also pending.