SF Gate
May 11, 2014
A Madison man who broke into his neighbors’ apartment and killed a mother and daughter before police fatally shot him had been convicted of disorderly conduct in the past, court records show.
More details in the case were released Monday, including the names of the victims and suspect. The Dane County coroner identified the suspect as Londrell Emone Johnson and the victims as 57-year-old Robin Rae Grossmann and her daughter, Charity Rae Grossmann, 34.
Online court records indicate that Johnson, 33, had been convicted of multiple counts of disorderly conduct. He pleaded guilty to the charge most recently in 2013 and again in 2008, and pleaded no contest to it in 2010 and twice in 2000. He also had convictions for intent to contribute to the delinquency of a child.
Police have said he had suffered from mental illness and threatened neighbors in the past.
On Friday, Johnson forced his way into the apartment where Robin Rae Grossmann lived with her 20-year-old son, police said. He fatally stabbed Grossmann and her daughter and wounded the son, they said. The son’s name has not been released.
One or more Madison police officers shot Johnson, who was wielding a knife when officers arrived at “a very fluid and active scene,” police spokesman Joel DeSpain said. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The two women died after being attacked. The 20-year-old man who was wounded suffered multiple stab wounds but was able to escape and is expected to survive, police said. He was able to run for help “indicating a neighbor was stabbing his family,” according to a police report.
Police said Charity Grossmann was at her mother’s apartment baby-sitting a 4-year-old boy when the stabbings happened. DeSpain said the child, who was unharmed, was found hiding inside the apartment after the attack and has since been reunited with family members.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation is taking the lead on looking into Johnson’s death and how police handled the situation. Madison police are investigating the killings.