Ogden pediatrician Dr. Sherman P. Johnson pleaded guilty Tuesday in 2nd District Court to manslaughter in the death 21/2 years ago of a Sunset woman he was treating for cancer.
Johnson, 52, admitted he administered doses of painkilling Demerol that exceeded normal medical guidelines to Donna Jones prior to her death on Oct. 4, 1989. The physician faces a prison term of one to 15 years on the charge, a second-degree felony. Sentencing was set by Judge Douglas L Cornaby for June 9.Johnson's defense attorney, Robert Van Sciver, said admitting he did something wrong is difficult for Johnson, but he agrees he acted recklessly in the way he treated Jones, including the painkiller injections.
Jones manipulated Johnson and everyone around her, Van Sciver said, convincing them she was dying of ovarian cancer. She was so convincing she had neighbors transporting her to the University Medical Center in Salt Lake City for treatment, although she was never admitted there as a patient.
Van Sciver said Johnson had no intent to kill Jones and that the doses of Demerol he was injecting into her in the days prior to her death were at the same level as those he had been giving her in the preceding weeks.
There was no intentional overdose, Van Sciver said. "She (Jones) was a bright, intelligent woman who manipulated those around her, including Dr. Johnson, who is a compassionate and caring man," Van Sciver said.
Johnson signed Jones' death certificate, listing the cause of death as pneumonia and ovarian cancer.
Neighbors, including a nurse, suspicious of the events surrounding Jones' death, alerted Sunset police, who obtained a court order to exhume Jones' body about six months after she died. A medical examination showed no signs of ovarian cancer.
The medical examiner listed the cause of death as a drug overdose.
Davis County Attorney Mel Wilson said he's pleased with Johnson's guilty plea, and he believes that manslaughter rather than second-degree murder is the correct charge, considering the circumstances of Jones' death.
"We believe the manslaughter charge is appropriate. After reviewing the evidence - and it's a very complex case relying heavily on toxicology and expert medical testimony - we believe that it demonstrates that Dr. Johnson's conduct was criminally negligent," said Wilson.
"We saw no intent, from the evidence, on Dr. Johnson's part, to kill the victim. But it was more than just a mistake," Wilson said.
Wilson said he's been discussing the case, including the evidence and possible range of charges, with Johnson and Van Sciver for about three months.
Johnson wavered between agreeing to plead guilty or fighting the charges, including making a statement that he was not responsible for the overdose.
But in the end, Wilson said, after reviewing the evidence and expert medical testimony the county had lined up, Johnson agreed to plead guilty.
Sentencing is set for June 9, but Johnson also has a hearing scheduled May 20 before the state licensing board to review his license to practice medicine.