Warning: This story may be disturbing to some viewers.
Court documents obtained by WTKR News 3 outline what investigators believe happened the day Keir Johnson and her infant daughter Chloe vanished from the Peninsula more than seven years ago.
Last Friday, Chloe's father and Keir's ex-boyfriend, Carlos Johnson Jr., was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to their 2017 disappearance.
Keir's twin sister, Teir Pettway, confirmed to WTKR News 3 anchor and investigator Jessica Larché in an exclusive interview Monday that Keir and Carlos were not married, but were in a relationship.
Investigations
Exclusive: Keir Johnson's sister hopes man charged in her murder is 'put away'
Now, we're learning more about what led to Johnson Jr.'s arrest and subsequent charges after obtaining an affidavit filed by investigators.
Watch related: Officials announces charges for Carlos Johnson Jr.
All of the claims below of what allegedly happened before, on, and after April 30, 2017 are from the arrest warrant affidavit for Johnson, Jr. filed by investigators.
January 2017: Johnson Jr.'s 'atypical' internet searches
The documents say on Jan. 18, 2017, months before the two were reported missing in April, Carlos allegedly searched online for “accidental baby deaths” and information about deadly poison, including the phrase “how much rat poison is needed to kill a human.”
On Jan. 23, Carlos allegedly then searched topics such as "forced fatherhood" and "how to avoid child support," documents say. He allegedly searched for street camera information and conducted more poison-related searches, including "liquid poison that kills instantly," on Jan. 25, documents also detail.
The documents preface Carlos' alleged search history with information they received about his relationship with Keir. They say Keir's family told investigators that Keir and Carlos had arguments about child support for Chloe, adding that Carlos denied being her father. The documents do not indicate when these alleged arguments happened.
The documents also say that several months before Keir and Chloe disappeared, numerous witnesses saw the mother and Carlos arguing at Smithfield Packing, where they both worked.
Watch: Ex-boyfriend charged with first-degree murder in case of Keir & Chloe Johnson's disappearance
April 30, 2017: Keir and Chloe are reported missing
The documents also reveal what investigators believe happened on April 30, 2017, the date Keir and Chloe were reported missing. This includes records pinpointing Keir and Carlos' phone locations, and Carlos' alleged movements that night.
The affidavit also includes an interview with a witness who claims Carlos instructed him to drive to a marsh area where he "accessed [the car's] trunk."
The witness claims he was later instructed to wipe down the inside of the car before abandoning it.
Morning of April 30: Witness hears Keir's cries
On the morning of April 30, 2017, a witness said they were woken up by a “very upset woman” yelling outside their home, which is located near Keir’s home, documents say. The witness later positively identified the woman as Keir.
Keir’s phone records show that she was on the phone with Johnson Jr. that morning while she was near her home. Their phones were in contact from about 8 a.m. to nearly 10 a.m., records say.
Afternoon of April 30: Phone records pinpoint Keir’s location
Phone records show that Keir’s phone traveled from Hampton to 35th Street in Newport News, near Carlos' home, the documents say.
Around 3:30 p.m., Keir made a call to her friend, phone records show. The friend told investigators Keir called to say she and Chloe would be at the friend's home in 10 minutes, but they never arrived, according to the documents.
Carlos' phone was also located near his home around 3:30 p.m., records show.
Keir’s phone was turned off around 4:30 p.m., and records show her phone did not move locations.
Watch related: Keir's sister Teir hopes Johnson Jr. is "put away"
Early evening hours of April 30: Johnson Jr. purchases black light
Carlos told police that the last time he saw Keir was the night of April 29, documents say. He also told police the last form of contact they had was the morning of April 30 via texting.
He said when Keir and Chloe went missing, he was at a Jersey Mike's in Suffolk, adding that he had posted this on Instagram with the date and time — although documents do not indicate what time.
Phone records, receipts and video surveillance from April 30 show that he went to a Walmart in Suffolk and bought a new shirt and pants, documents say. After, he went into Jimmy John's wearing the new clothes he got from Walmart. The documents do not state what time.
Later, around 6:30 p.m., he bought drywall spackling and a putty knife from Lowe's. Around 7:30 p.m., he bought a black light from Home Depot.
Night of April 30: Witness says he and Johnson Jr. drove Keir’s car to a marsh
A male not identified in court records was interviewed by investigators, documents say. He told them Carlos let him borrow Keir’s car.
On the night of April 30, while driving Keir’s car, he met up with Carlos near Heritage High School. They left together in the car and went to Carlos' home, where Carlos accessed the trunk.
He went onto say that both he and Carlos turned off their phones and drove her car across the James River Bridge. Once on the other side of the bridge in Isle of Wight, Carlos told him to park the car, the witness said. Carlos opened the trunk, walked toward the marsh area and “was gone a short time.”
He says they drove to the area of Arch Street in Newport News and parked. Carlos told him to wipe down the inside of the car before abandoning it. This is where police later found Keir’s car.
This interview was corroborated with information from license plate readers, electronic communication records and physical evidence, documents say.
Watch: Keir's family speaks following her disappearance
May 2017: Investigators find blood in Johnson Jr.'s home
On May 19, 2017, less than a month after Keir and Chloe disappeared, a search warrant was executed at Carlos’ home, documents say.
Investigators say they found “suspected blood” beneath the carpet and carpet padding in his living room. Testing indicated that it was blood, and they could not rule out that it was Keir Johnson's.
Feb. 14, 2025: Johnson Jr. arrested
On Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, nearly eight years since Keir & Chloe's disappearance, Carlos Johnson Jr. was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
Feb. 17, 2025: Officials announce charges
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew, Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares held a press conference announcing the charges.
"Even though someone has been arrested, the job is only beginning," Gwynn said. "We know that in the last seven years, there are people in this community who have information about this case."
We'll continue to follow this story on air and online with any future developments in the case.
