Kidnapping victim’s mother arrested, faces child endangerment charges

CORALVILLE — Shelly Johns, the mother of the girl abducted by her stepfather last month, is accused of abusing the girl and using drugs in front of her.

According to criminal complaints filed by the Coralville Police Department, Johns, 44, is accused of keeping and using illegal drugs in the Coralville home she shares with her 10-year-old daughter. Johns allegedly told police she has been smoking meth for the last six months and that her daughter was present when the drugs were being used. The girl also told authorities that she saw her mother and others using a white substance, believed to be meth, in her presence.

Additionally, police said the girl had a 'circular injury' under her eye that she suffered when Johns burned her with a cigarette. Johns allegedly admitted to burning her daughter with the lit cigarette during an incident when she was disciplining her. Johns told police she disciplines her daughter by 'smacking her, pulling her hair and kicking her,' according to criminal complaints.

The girl was abducted by her stepfather, 48-year-old Kenneth Johns, on March 7. On that date, deputies responded to Casey's General Store in Solon after Shelly Johns called to report a domestic abuse incident involving him. At that time, Kenneth Johns was wanted for a prior domestic incident.

Authorities said Kenneth Johns abducted his stepdaughter from a residence in Solon, and fled in a vehicle, while his wife was with authorities. Later that day, Shelly Johns reported that her husband might be in possession of a weapon and authorities issued an Amber Alert. The girl was eventually turned over to authorities by a third party in West Branch early on March 8 and Johns was arrested in Davenport after a standoff with police later that morning.

The girl was placed into the custody of the Department of Human Services upon her return, though authorities did not say why.

Kenneth Johns was eventually charged with second-degree kidnapping, possession of a firearm by a felon and carrying weapons in the case. Johns has pleaded not guilty to those charges and is scheduled to go to trial July 21.

According to a warrant obtained by Coralville Police, while investigating the case, police received consent from Shelly Johns to search her residence in Coralville and seize any evidence. On March 11, police when to the home and discovered suspected meth, syringes, glass pipes, a digital scale and packaging materials.

Police obtained a warrant to search Johns' home a second time and recovered two syringes, an empty dime bag, two syringes, six 9 mm bullets and other items, according to documents.

Shelly Johns faces charges of child endangerment causing bodily injury, a Class D felony, and child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor.