Father charged with murder in disappearance of mother and infant daughter
- Carlos A. Johnson Jr. was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder related to the 2017 case.
- Keir Johnson and her infant daughter Chloe were reported missing from Hampton, Virginia, with their vehicle found two weeks later.
- The arrest was described as a step toward justice for the family, who have been enduring uncertainty since their disappearance.
In 2017, in Hampton, Virginia, Keir Johnson and her 8-month-old daughter Chloe were reported missing. The last known sighting of them was on April 30, 2017, and their vehicle was discovered later, on May 14, 2017, abandoned in Newport News. Despite extensive searches and investigations by local authorities, the bodies of the mother and daughter have never been recovered. As time progressed, the case remained open, and investigators continued to seek justice for the missing individuals. On February 16, 2025, nearly eight years after their disappearance, Carlos A. Johnson Jr., the father of Chloe and the partner of Keir, was arrested during a traffic stop and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew expressed the significance of this arrest in a public statement, emphasizing its importance for the grieving family. The case has been complex, with no clues leading to the physical evidence necessary to close it until recently. Keir Johnson's twin sister, Teir Pettway, has expressed a long-standing suspicion of Johnson Jr.'s involvement and hopes for his conviction, indicating the emotional toll the case has taken on the family. This arrest comes as a step toward potentially providing some sense of closure for the loved ones of Keir and Chloe, even though the search for their remains continues. Johnson Jr.’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 26, 2025, as the legal process moves forward.