A California couple has been charged with murder after allegedly starving a disabled 14-year-old relative to death and fleeing the state. Sherwood Johnson, 37, and Megan Fredrick, 33, were arrested on April 16 in Liberty Lake, Washington, by the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.
The pair were wanted on a nationwide extradition warrant for murder and child abuse causing injury or death. The Sutter County Sheriff's Office began investigating after the death of the developmentally disabled teenager in January 2025. The victim, identified as Fredrick's adoptive sister, required round-the-clock care and was fed through a tube.
Deputies responded to a medical aid call in Live Oak and found the teen unresponsive. Life-saving measures were attempted, but the juvenile was pronounced deceased. A coroner later ruled the cause of death as starvation and neglect, classifying it a homicide.
Fredrick and Johnson were identified as the primary caregivers but had relocated out of state. Warrants were issued, and they were apprehended and returned to California on April 21. Sheriff Brandon Barnes expressed condolences, stating, 'The death of a child is always tragic... I am glad to see those responsible are in custody.'
