A convicted serial rapist who targeted wives of Fort Gordon soldiers will not be getting out of prison for at least another year.
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles notified the Columbia County District Attorney’s office Tuesday, May 3, that the board decided not to grant parole to Willie Johnson. His next consideration will be in April 2023.
Johnson, now 59, has been in prison for 35 years following his convictions for raping two women and the attempted rape of a third.
When he was 24, a Columbia County Superior Court jury convicted Johnson of multiple crimes. He was sentenced to five consecutive life-in-prison terms plus 40 years.
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When the prosecutor’s office received notice of Johnson’s possible parole earlier this year, Assistant District Attorney Natalie Paine reviewed the case and then wrote a protest letter to the parole board.
“This man is a serial rapist. My experience as a prosecutor leads me to opine that this man possesses all of the traits of someone who simply cannot resist his urges,” Paine wrote to the parole board.
As The Augusta Press previously reported, Johnson’s crimes were not impulsive acts. He targeted specific women and developed a ruse to gain their trust, using the Army as part of his fake cover. His crimes became increasing violent.
After what may have been an initial failed attempt, Johnson changed his approach on May 27, 1986, when he dressed in military fatigues and carried a briefcase when he approached the young wife of a Fort Gordon soldier while the husband was working on base. Johnson claimed he needed to check on her husband’s security clearance and once inside, he pulled a gun.
Nine days later, another soldier’s wife was approached. He said he was doing a survey about housing for Army families. She invited him in. Once again he pulled a gun.
Just two days later, another young wife was hanging laundry outside to dry when an alert neighbor caught sight of a man sneaking into her home. When he heard the woman scream, the neighbor called 911.
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The arrival of a Grovetown police officer prevented Johnson from raping the woman, but he had punched her in the mouth with the handgun and bound her.
Johnson ran from the scene but was caught. At his home, investigators found items stolen from the victims. They also found a roll of tape like that used to gag the women. The women also picked Johnson out of photo lineups.
Johnson was previously considered for release eight times in the past, The Press reported. According to the Department of Corrections website, he is at the Macon Transitional Center.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.Â
