Kenneth Johns gets emotional, apologizes in court appearance

IOWA CITY - Kenneth Johns displayed a considerably different attitude in his second court appearance of the month, where he was read a list of charges from his alleged abduction of his 10-year-old stepdaughter.

Appearing in court via closed circuit television from the jail, Johns, 48, wiped tears from his eyes as Judge Deb Minot read the list of charges against the Coralville man.

Johns apologized for his actions in his March 9 court appearance, when he spit on criminal complaint documents and expressed loud displeasure with the proceedings.

'I'd just like to apologize for my last appearance, it's a very emotional case,” Johns said Thursday.

Johns claimed his innocence after Minot read the charges of second-degree kidnapping, carrying weapons and possession of a firearm as a felon following his alleged March 7 abduction of his stepdaughter, which triggered an AMBER ALERT.

Minot set Johns' bond at $100,000 for the kidnapping charge alone, but he is already being held without bail for a parole violation.

Johns was originally charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, first-degree harassment and domestic abuse while displaying or using a weapon for an incident that occurred a few days before the alleged abduction.

According to Coralville police, around 5:30 a.m. March 3, Johns forced his way into the residence where his wife and stepdaughter were residing. Once inside, police said Johns pointed a loaded 9 mm handgun at his wife and demanded her debit cards and cellphone.

Johns allegedly told his wife that if she didn't comply, he would kill her. He then took his wife and stepdaughter to a hotel, police said.

After being booked March 9 in the Johnson County Jail, Kenneth added an assault charge to his list when he allegedly attacked another inmate.

Two days later Johns was charged with violating a no contact order after calling his wife, who he has been barred from contacting, from the jail three times within a span of 30 minutes.

Gazette reporter Lee Hermiston contributed to this article.