Convicted Murderer of 3-Year-Old May Be Granted Parole by Thanksgiving

Three-year-old Brittany Lynn Rethorn-Riggs was found strangled and suffocated in a closet under a pile

of clothing with a tie loosely around her neck – in her own home.  Her convicted killer, Chuck Johnson, is

up for parole on November 16, 2023. This will be his 3 rd parole hearing. He has had two 7 year denials’

due to his unsuitability.

This parole hearing due to law changes he will be considered for the first time a youthful offender under

the age of 26. He was 24 years old when he killed Brittany. We do not believe the parole board should

give him great weight to factors specific to youthful offenders as diminished culpability compared to

adults. At the same time, he will be eligible for an elderly parole hearing because he’s over 50 and served

more than 20 years. His sentence for first degree murder is 25 years to life. We do not believe that age,

time served, and diminished physical condition should not have any weight in his suitability for parole.

Chuck Johnson (AKA Ernest Garfield Riley II) had a violent past prior to killing Brittany. At the last

hearing the commissioners found the murder to be especially heinous. “That you choked, strangled and

suffocated this 3-year-old victim who in no way could have offered any kind of resistance or any kind of

threat to you whatsoever and to do this to such a young child in particular makes it especially heinous.

She was very vulnerable. A big area for us which we gave significant weight to was your lack of

credibility. Quite frankly the physical evidence does not support the account of the life crime as you put

forth today. We find your report of your actions to stretch the bounds of credulity. Then all the others

things that cascade down there for us. Such as your discussion of remorse and responsibility. We find that

you failed to demonstrate significant progress in other areas to show that you are suitable for parole. You

were not engaged in meaningful institutional activities. You’ve had a long string of violence against

women and domestically and you were unable to demonstrate even a modicum of evidence that you know

what that’s about. We find while you’ve had some substance abuse previously and we do not see that to

be a contained element for the reasons for killing the victim. You continue you pose an unreasonable

risk of danger or threat to public safety. Again, we have the same concern of the last panel (in 2009)

about where you will be going if you are paroled. There are plenty of places the board can parole you to,

any of the 58 counties. We strongly urge you again to look to somewhere else. I don’t think it’s good for

you and I don’t think it’s good for them” (the victims’ mother/family).

“Our lives have been changed forever,” said Jennifer Rethorn Lundy, Brittany Lynn’s mother.  “Even 30

years later, the impact on our lives has been devastating. Again being re-victimized going through the

process of this parole hearing. We are stunned that so many laws have changed to give him more chances

for parole when Brittany was given a death sentence. He has never admitted to the truth of what he did.

Not only did he kill her in cold blood as it took 3 minutes of strangling her with her baby blanket, then hid

her body so no one could help or find her. We believe the motive was to kidnap her as he was seen with

her in his car before we were awakened by the noise that we now know was the struggle of him killing

her. When we identified Brittany she was not in the clothes that she slept in. She had no underwear on and

the autopsy showed bruising and redness around her vagina. There was not enough evidence to charge

him with attempted kidnapping or molestation which would have given him the eligibility for the death

penalty. To go through all those years of him putting blame on me he has never apologized. He has never

admitted to his past of violence. If he is let out I know he will kill again. I can’t live with that.

We are asking for the community to help block Johnson’s parole by signing a petition on Change.org and

sending letters and emails to the parole board in advance of the hearing.  For more information, go

to:  www.JusticeForBrittanyLynn.com or contact us at: justiceforbrittanylynn@gmail.com. All letters

must be received by October 10, 2023.