Johns to remain held without bond on parole violation charge

IOWA CITY - The Coralville man accused of abducting his stepdaughter from a home in Solon this weekend will remain in custody without bond.

Kenneth E. Johns, 48, made his initial appearance in front of a judge Tuesday morning after being returned to the Johnson County Jail on charges of domestic abuse while displaying a weapon and a parole violation for an incident said to have occurred in January, as well as an assault causing bodily injury charge for an incident that happened after he was booked in the jail Monday.

During the brief appearance - during which Johns appeared in court via closed-circuit television from the jail - Judge Deb Minot set Johns' bond at $10,000 cash for the domestic abuse charge and $7,500 cash for the assault charge. However, Minot ordered that Johns would be held without bond on the parole violation, which will be decided by the Department of Corrections and could result in him being returned to prison.

Johns expressed his displeasure with Minot's orders during his appearance, first asking whether the alleged victim in the domestic assault could have a no-contact order dropped.

'Regardless of what she says about the complaint and how you feel about the complaint, I'm the person filing the no-contact order,” Minot said. 'It's not a question of whether this person wants to have contact with you or not, I'm ordering you not to have contact.”

Johns asked the judge when someone would be charged with assaulting him.

'I'd like to know when you are going to file,” Johns asked. 'Doesn't it look like I've been assaulted? Look at my face.”

Minot explained that she was only dealing with the matters she had information on. Johns was not happy with Minot's response.

'I'm done speaking to you and anybody else about this matter,” he said, before spitting on the complaints.

Davenport police arrested Johns Sunday morning, a day after he triggered an AMBER ALERT and manhunt when he allegedly abducted 10-year-old Brianna Crane. Authorities have said Johnson County deputies responded to a business in Solon where Johns' wife, Shelly Johns, had called for assistance. Kenneth Johns had been wanted by Coralville Police for allegedly pointing a gun at his wife's head and threatening to kill her.

Police said when deputies responded to the business, Kenneth Johns took Brianna and fled. She was eventually dropped off in Cedar County by an unidentified third party. Authorities have said Brianna is in good condition, but has been placed with the Department of Human Services.

According to a Johnson County Sheriff's Office criminal complaint, after Johns was booked at the jail, he got into a fight with another inmate. Police said Johns bit the other man's upper thigh, causing bruising and slight bleeding. Johns suffered facial injuries during the scrum, requiring treatment at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Investigators were conducting interviews Monday related to the AMBER ALERT investigation and no decision has been made on charges related to that incident.

Johns will be represented by the public defender's office unless he hires his own attorney.