She had promised to take care of them.
It was a promise that should have meant warmth, safety, and love. A promise spoken between sisters, sealed by blood and trust. A promise that a mother, drowning in grief, clung to because she believed family would never betray family.
Instead, that promise became the doorway to one of the most heartbreaking cases Baltimore would ever know.
This is the story of Joshlyn Johnson, 7 years old, and Larry O’Neil III, just 5. Two children who disappeared quietly, without Amber Alerts or frantic searches—because the person who took them was someone everyone trusted.
And it is the story of how their disappearance remained hidden for months… until a routine traffic stop exposed a truth so horrifying it left seasoned officers shaken to their core.
A Mother’s Breaking Point
In 2019, Dachelle Johnson was unraveling.
The woman who had raised her—her anchor, her safe place—had just died. Grief pressed in from every direction, stealing sleep, appetite, and hope. Dachelle was still a mother, still trying to be strong for her children, but she was breaking in ways no one could see.
She needed help.
So she did what many parents do in moments of desperation—she turned to family.
Her older sister, Nicole Johnson, stepped forward. She promised Dachelle she would take care of Joshlyn and Larry. That they would be safe. Fed. Protected. Loved. It would be temporary, she said. Just until Dachelle could get back on her feet.
It sounded reasonable. Responsible. Loving.
Dachelle believed her.
She kissed her children goodbye, trusting they would be okay.
That goodbye would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Silence That Should Have Screamed
At first, communication continued. Short updates. Brief calls. Nothing alarming.
Then the messages slowed.
Calls went unanswered. Texts weren’t returned. Nicole always had an excuse—busy, phone problems, moving around. Dachelle’s unease grew, but grief has a way of blinding people, especially when hope is all they have left.
She told herself her sister loved the kids.
She told herself they were fine.
Then Nicole disappeared completely.
No calls. No updates. No access to Joshlyn or Larry.
Months passed.
Dachelle lived in a fog of fear and guilt, telling herself she would hear from them soon, that family wouldn’t do something unforgivable.
She could not imagine what was already true.
The Traffic Stop
On July 28, 2021, Baltimore police pulled over a car for routine reasons—no registration, no insurance, a fake temporary tag.
Behind the wheel was Nicole Johnson.
Nothing about the stop suggested it would change lives forever. Officers prepared to tow the car and asked Nicole to remove her belongings.
Then one officer noticed a smell.
Not garbage. Not food.
Something far worse.
Death.
When Nicole opened the trunk, she pulled out a plastic tote crawling with maggots. Then a black trash bag.
Inside the bag was Joshlyn.
She weighed 18 pounds.
A seven-year-old child reduced to the weight of a toddler.
Inside the tote was Larry.
Only 21 pounds.
Two children who had vanished from the world—hidden in the trunk of a car for nearly a year.
Police officers froze. Some cried. Some turned away, physically sick. Veterans of homicide said later they had never seen anything so devastating.
These were not just bodies.
They were babies.
The Truth Unravels
Nicole Johnson was arrested on the spot.
And then she talked.
She told detectives she had been driving around with the children’s bodies in her trunk for a year. Gas stations. Grocery stores. Parking lots. Traffic stops. All while Joshlyn and Larry lay decomposing feet behind her.
She said Joshlyn died in May 2020 after being repeatedly beaten. She said the child fell and hit her head.
She showed no remorse.
Larry, she claimed, “fell asleep” in the back seat in May 2021 and never woke up.
She did not call for help.
She did not ask for medical assistance.
She placed him beside his sister.
And kept driving.
A Mother’s World Ends
When Dachelle learned the truth, her life collapsed.
Her children were not missing.
They were gone.
On a fundraiser page, she poured out words that felt like a scream trapped on a screen:
“It was supposed to be family helping family.”
“I trusted her.”
“I’ll never get to see my kids again because of a mistake I made.”
But the mistake was never hers.
She sought help in grief. She trusted someone who promised love. The betrayal was total—and unforgivable.
Her children had suffered in silence.
And she would carry that pain forever.
Justice, Too Late
Nicole Johnson was charged with two counts of first-degree child abuse resulting in death.
In February 2025, she was sentenced to life in prison, with all but 50 years suspended.
Fifty years behind bars.
But no sentence could restore what was taken.
Joshlyn would never turn eight.
Larry would never start school.
Remembering Who They Were
Before the horror, they were real children.
Joshlyn loved bright colors and asking questions. Teachers remembered her curiosity and laughter.
Larry was gentle, quiet, and adored toy cars. He lined them up carefully, building imaginary worlds.
They were inseparable.
They deserved safety.
They deserved love.
They deserved a future.
What Remains
This case is not just a crime story.
It is a warning about silence. About trust. About how easily children can disappear when the people meant to protect them become the danger.
Joshlyn Johnson and Larry O’Neil III mattered.
They were loved.
And though their lives were stolen, their names will not be forgotten.
Not now.
Not ever.
