A Red Lake woman has been found guilty by a federal jury for her role in a disturbing case of child abuse within the Red Lake Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger confirmed. Bobbi Jo Johnson, also known as Bobbi Jo Kingbird and aged 46, was convicted of child neglect and endangerment following a trial overseen by Judge Katherine M. Menendez last week.

Evidence brought forward during the trial revealed that, between January 1, 2021, and April 29, 2022, Johnson partook in the neglect and abuse of a child who was under the foster care of her sister, Trina Mae Johnson. Court documents indicate that the child was deprived of food to the brink of starvation, subjected to stand in painful positions for extended amounts of time, and physically assaulted. All these grievous actions have led the victim to endure severe physical, mental, and emotional damage.

In the court proceedings, Trina Mae Johnson entered a guilty plea to multiple charges, including child torture and assault on a minor with a dangerous weapon. Additional family members, Ellie Mae Johnson, Patricia Ann Johnson, and Bertram Calvin Lussier, Jr., each pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment, the Justice Department reported.

The investigation, which unearthed the gruesome treatment imposed on the juvenile, was spearheaded by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police and supported by multiple Minnesota law enforcement agencies, including the Bemidji Police and the Blackduck Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth S. Shnider, and Evan B. Gilead, who brought the distressing evidence to light. Sentencing for all five defendants is expected to take place on a date yet to be determined.