Alisha “Lisa” Johnson was 19 years old when she disappeared, and her remains were found a week later in a remote part of Fauquier County. Johnson was at a friend’s apartment in Alexandria when she went to the store to buy hair gel. She never returned. She was reported missing on Sunday, July 28, 1996.
Johnson’s remains were found the following Sunday in a wooded area about 50 miles away. It was not until 2002 or 2003 that the remains found were determined to be Johnson’s, according to Alexandria police Detective Tom Durkin.
“At the time she disappeared she was in an abusive relationship that she was trying to end. The night before she disappeared, she was threatened by her boyfriend,” Durkin said.
There is no concrete evidence to implicate Johnson’s boyfriend in her death, Durkin said, but he remains a person of interest.
Investigators don’t know exactly what happened to Johnson, though they have some ideas from talking to people.
Johnson’s life was “centered around Alexandria,” and Durkin is convinced there are people in her circle who have a better idea of what might have happened to her.
Johnson was a mother of two, and left behind her mother, sister and aunts and uncles. She was born and raised in Alexandria, and Durkin said she was a typical, “rough-and-tumble” teenager.
Police have a limited amount of information regarding this case, and are searching for answers.
“We’ve made progress. We’ve found pieces of the puzzle,” Durkin said.
Detectives are looking for any information about this case. If anyone has information regarding Johnson’s death, please contact Durkin at 703-838-4169 or Sgt. Nichols in the Alexandria Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Section.
