Alvin Johnson: The Transient Predator
Overview
Alvin Johnson was an American serial killer whose violent crimes spanned more than a decade, leaving a trail of death across three states. A transient laborer, Johnson’s life was marked by poverty, a significant childhood injury, and alcoholism. Between 1972 and 1983, he committed at least three murders in Oregon, California, and Utah. His victims were chosen seemingly at random, attacked with brutal force during what sources described as alcoholic binges. One of his crimes was committed alongside another serial killer, Wilbur Lee Jennings. Johnson was convicted of two murders and was serving a life sentence when DNA evidence linked him to a third, a cold case from 1983. He died in prison in 2016.
Early Life and Background
Alvin Johnson was born in 1944 in Smithville, Texas, one of fourteen children in a family of poor tenant farmers. His childhood was not only one of deprivation but was also marked by a traumatic injury that may have shaped his future behavior. As a boy, he was accidentally struck in the head with an axe handle. The injury reportedly caused lasting effects, including amnesia, dizziness, and possible symptoms of schizophrenia.
As an adult, Johnson became a transient, drifting across the country and taking on manual labor jobs on various farms to survive. His nomadic lifestyle kept him isolated and largely under the radar of law enforcement for years. His criminal history began before his first known murder, but it was his escalating violence that eventually led to his identification as a serial predator.
The Murder of Roger Geller
On September 26, 1972, Alvin Johnson was in Klamath Falls, Oregon. His first known victim was Roger E. Geller, a 50-year-old cook who was staying in a local hotel. Geller had recently quit his job and was planning to return to his home state of Nebraska. Johnson broke into Geller's hotel room, where he viciously beat and strangled him to death before stealing his wallet and fleeing. Geller's body was discovered the next day by a hotel maid.
The investigation moved quickly, and Johnson was arrested and charged with the murder the following day. While awaiting trial in the city jail, Johnson and another inmate, 35-year-old Wolfred Dean Hill, attempted a daring escape on January 1, 1973. They managed to lock a jailer in a closet and overpower a police officer, during which Johnson was shot in the shoulder. The pair fled in a patrol car but were recaptured within hours. Following his recapture, Johnson was tried for the killing of Roger Geller. He was ultimately convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison.
The Murder of Clarice Reinke
After serving his sentence for the Geller killing, Johnson was released from prison in early 1983. He resumed his transient lifestyle, eventually making his way to a rescue mission in Fresno, California. There, he crossed paths with Wilbur Lee Jennings, a local man who was also a serial killer, known for preying on prostitutes.
On June 23, 1983, Johnson and Jennings traveled to the nearby town of Easton and broke into the home of 76-year-old Clarice Lula Reinke. The two men raped and strangled the elderly woman. For reasons that remain unclear, Johnson and Jennings parted ways after the murder. Jennings would go on to be convicted of several other murders and was nicknamed "The Ditchbank Murderer." Johnson, meanwhile, moved on to Utah, leaving the Reinke case to go cold for decades.
The Murder of James Clark
In early August 1983, Johnson arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah. On August 7, he befriended a married couple from Texas, 38-year-old James M. Clark and his wife, Anna, who were traveling by freight train and had stopped in the city. After spending the day drinking with them in a park, Johnson suggested they spend the night in a nearby abandoned carpet warehouse for shelter.
Inside the warehouse, Johnson’s demeanor suddenly changed. Accusing James Clark of trying to steal his money, Johnson grabbed a shovel handle. He ordered James to undress, tied his hands, and began to beat him mercilessly. He then turned his attention to Anna, raping her and forcing her to participate in the assault on her husband. Johnson eventually beat James Clark to death with the shovel handle. While Johnson was unconscious, Anna Clark managed to escape and immediately alerted the police.
Investigation and Capture
Anna Clark’s courageous escape and detailed report were crucial to Johnson's capture. She provided a description that allowed authorities to quickly identify him. The day after the murder, on August 20, 1983, Alvin Johnson was arrested aboard a freight train in Lincoln, Nebraska. He fought extradition to Utah but was eventually returned to face charges for the murder of James Clark and the kidnapping and rape of his wife.
The murder of Clarice Reinke remained unsolved for 25 years. The break in the case came from advancements in forensic science. In 2008, just a year before Johnson was scheduled for a parole hearing in Utah, DNA evidence from the Reinke crime scene was analyzed. The results produced two profiles: one belonging to Wilbur Lee Jennings, who was on death row in California, and the other to Alvin Johnson.
Trial and Sentence
For the murder of Roger Geller in 1972, Johnson was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years in prison.
Following his 1983 arrest for the crimes in Utah, Johnson stood trial for the first-degree murder of James Clark and the associated charges involving Anna Clark. During the sentencing phase, his defense presented mitigating factors, including his intellectual disability and chronic alcoholism, which they argued influenced his actions. The jury found him guilty on all counts. Taking the mitigating factors into consideration, the court sentenced him to two life sentences with the possibility of parole, sparing him the death penalty.
After the DNA match in 2008 linked Johnson and Jennings to Clarice Reinke's murder, Johnson's upcoming parole was revoked. While murder charges were filed against him in California, he was never extradited or tried for the crime, largely due to his existing life sentence in Utah. His accomplice, Wilbur Lee Jennings, died of natural causes in 2014 before he could be tried for the Reinke murder.
The Victims
- Roger E. Geller, 50 — September 26, 1972, in Klamath Falls, Oregon. A cook who was preparing to move back home to Nebraska, he was killed in his hotel room.
- Clarice Lula Reinke, 76 — June 23, 1983, in Easton, California. She was a widow who was raped and murdered in her home by Johnson and his accomplice.
- James M. Clark, 38 — August 7, 1983, in Salt Lake City, Utah. A visitor from Texas traveling with his wife, he was beaten to death in an abandoned warehouse.
Aftermath and Legacy
Alvin Johnson spent the remainder of his life incarcerated at the Utah State Prison in Draper. His case is a stark example of how a life of transience can allow a predator to move between jurisdictions, leaving violence in his wake. It also highlights the critical role of forensic science in solving cold cases and ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable, even decades after their crimes. Johnson was never charged for all the murders he was proven to have committed, but the DNA evidence ensured he would never be released from prison. Alvin Johnson died of natural causes while incarcerated on May 21, 2016, at the age of 72.
