Father, son charged with Plummer's murder

KNIK — A father and son face murder charges stemming from a home invasion off Knik-Goose Bay Road the evening of March 7.

Alaska State Troopers arrested Andrew Johnson, 38, at about 4:30 p.m., Thursday on charges of murder in the second-degree and burglary. His son, Spencer Johnson, 19, was arrested March 9 after turning himself in at the Anchorage Federal Courthouse on first-degree murder charges.

And March 15, a Palmer Grand Jury indicted Spencer Johnson on additional charges, including two counts of second-degree murder, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and two counts of first-degree burglary.

The additional murder, homicide and manslaughter charges against Spencer Johnson are what prosecutors refer to as “lesser included” charges, which is how Alaska handles the possibility that a jury might find his alleged actions don’t amount to first-degree murder, but do fit the bill for second-degree murder, homicide or manslaughter.

Father and son are being held at Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility. Bail for Andrew Johnson is $100,000 cash and he would also need a court-approved third party to watch him. According to court records, Spencer Johnson has identical bail conditions — $100,000 with a third party custodian.

The charges resulted from an incident at the home of Steve and Evelyn Smith March 7 when three men, including Andrew and Spencer Johnson, burst into the residence.

Michael Plummer, 43, lived at the Smith home with fiancée Jessica Smith, 27, and her daughters Ivy, 6, and Violet, 1. He was headed to bed when the three men forced their way inside.

An AST investigation indicates that it was Spencer Johnson who fatally stabbed Plummer in the throat during the altercation.

Andrew Johnson is married to Holly Johnson, a friend of Jessica Smith’s who spent the day with the family after fighting with her husband.

Jessica Smith fired a handgun at Andrew Johnson after Plummer was stabbed. The shot hit him in the shoulder and he was hospitalized at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center later that night.

No other charges have been filed in the incident so far.

Contact managing editor Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.