ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Casey Johnson’s youngest sister had to relive the horror that she says she and her siblings faced at the hands of their mother’s boyfriend, Joseph Carroll.
She was the first to take the stand in the trial against Carroll, who is accused of murdering Casey in 2021. Casey’s young sister described the abuse on Thursday, and at one point, she broke down in tears.
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Casey was 15 at the time, while his youngest sister says she was 10 years old. Channel 9’s Gina Esposito was in court when Casey’s sister told the jury what would happen if she got in trouble or lied.
The young girl said Carroll would punish them by making them stay awake for three to five days straight. They would also have to exercise, sometimes in weighted vests. She added that Carroll would weigh them before meals, make them eat baby food, and restrict food by locking up the pantry.
She also described an act of violence called “beat downs,” where the child would be slapped, yelled at, or pulled by the ear. She said Casey was often the target.
A video in court depicted Casey’s sister crying while Carroll asked, “you would rather die than do exercises?”
A neighbor also took the stand to testify. He said he had been doing remodeling work in the home and that Casey was a big help. He said he questioned Carroll about all of the exercising, but one day, he had dinner with the family and saw the coffee cup saucer-sized portion of food given to Casey’s sister. That’s when he called the Department of Social Services.
Casey’s sister says DSS went to the house several times, and at one visit, she told the worker about the three-day punishment.
Late Thursday afternoon, Casey’s mother, Michelle Johnson, took the stand. Johnson is also facing a murder charge.
Johnson testified that she watched Carroll beat Casey that night and admitted to lying to police about what really happened.
The Rockingham Police officer who responded to the home in January of 2021 and found Casey unresponsive also took the stand, and we’re expecting to hear more of his testimony on Friday.
(VIDEO: Mother wants answers after son shot, killed at his Rockingham home)
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