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  Highest Praise for M. William Phelps

  “M. William Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer.”

  —TV Rage

  “Phelps is the king of true crime.”

  —Lynda Hirsch, Creators Syndicate

  “Phelps treads dangerous ground like an Amazon jungle guide—fearless, compassionate, insightful.”

  —Geoff Fitzpatrick, Executive Producer of Dark Minds

  DANGEROUS GROUND

  “It takes a unique individual to stay the course on a disturbing journey like the one documented in Dangerous Ground. We’d expect no less from Phelps, as he blends his own powerful story with that of a demanding serial killer – his anonymous consultant on Dark Minds unmasked—who alternately fascinated and repulsed him. True crime fans will savor this careful descent into an obsessive psychopathic mind, even when they feel how difficult it can be to come up for air.”

  —Katherine Ramsland, bestselling author of Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer

  “A tell-all account, frequently disturbing . . . For Dark Minds fans, this is both a revelation of a long-kept secret and a source of deeper insight into Phelps’s own life, while for true crime fans, it’s a lurid look at what makes some serial killers tick.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Deep, unforgettable, and creepy . . . will leave the readers shocked . . . delves into the psychology of a serial killer, and the dark past of the author.... This is an engrossing read, which will leave you gasping with every page. Reading this book, you get a real look into the chaotic mind of a serial killer.”

  —Vagabomb.com

  “The best true crime book of all time. Dangerous Ground recounts M. William Phelps’s five years of talking to Keith ‘Happy Face’ Jesperson, a serial killer. Phelps has written an eloquent, elegant and insightful look into the mind of a serial killer.”

  —Lynda Hirsch, Creators Syndicate

  “Dangerous Ground is another fantastic book from the investigative journalist and a gripping read from cover to cover.”

  —Real Crime

  THE KILLING KIND

  “In this true crime book, Phelps focuses on unrepentant killer Danny Hembree . . . [who] seizes the chance to take center stage with lurid confessions of a decades-long career of violent robbery, assault, rape, and murder.... Fans of the author’s Discovery TV series, Dark Minds, will be rewarded.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Phelps presents in-depth research and interviews that allow for vivid descriptions of characters and events.... Fans of true crime, forensics, and serial killer activities will all find something of interest here.”

  —Library Journal

  OBSESSED

  “Phelps focuses on a fatal love triangle that definitely proved to be stranger than fiction. The police work undertaken to solve the case is recounted with the right amount of detail, and readers will be rewarded with shocking twists in a story with inherent drama.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  BAD GIRLS

  “Fascinating, gripping . . . Phelps’s sharp investigative skills and questioning mind resonate.”

  —Sue Russell

  NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN

  “This riveting book examines one of the most horrific murders in recent American history.”

  —New York Post

  “Phelps clearly shows how the ugliest crimes can take place in the quietest of suburbs.”

  —Library Journal

  “Thoroughly reported . . . the book is primarily a police procedural, but it is also a tribute to the four murder victims.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  TOO YOUNG TO KILL

  “Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.”

  —Allison Brennan

  LOVE HER TO DEATH

  “Reading anything by Phelps is always an eye opening experience. The characters are well researched and well written. We have murder, adultery, obsession, lies and so much more.”

  —Suspense Magazine

  “You don’t want to miss Love Her To Death by M. William Phelps, a book destined to be one of 2011’s top true crimes!”

  —True Crime Book Reviews

  “A chilling crime . . . Award-winning author Phelps goes into lustrous and painstaking detail, bringing all the players vividly to life.”

  —Crime Magazine

  KILL FOR ME

  “Phelps gets into the blood and guts of the story.”

  —Gregg Olsen, New York Times bestselling author of Fear Collector

  “Phelps infuses his investigative journalism with plenty of energized descriptions.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  DEATH TRAP

  “A chilling tale of a sociopathic wife and mother . . . A compelling journey from the inside of this woman’s mind to final justice in a court of law.”

  —Harry N. MacLean, New York Times bestselling author of In Broad Daylight

  I’LL BE WATCHING YOU

  “Phelps has an unrelenting sense for detail that affirms his place, book by book, as one of our most engaging crime journalists.”

  —Katherine Ramsland

  IF LOOKS COULD KILL

  “M. William Phelps, one of America’s finest true-crime writers, has written a compelling and gripping book about an intriguing murder mystery.”

  —Vincent Bugliosi

  “Phelps consistently ratchets up the dramatic tension, hooking readers. His thorough research and interviews give the book complexity, richness of character, and urgency.”

  —Stephen Singular

  MURDER IN THE HEARTLAND

  “Drawing on interviews with law officers and relatives, the author has done significant research. His facile writing pulls the reader along.”

  —St. Louis Post-Dispatch

  “Phelps expertly reminds us that when the darkest form of evil invades the quiet and safe outposts of rural America, the tragedy is greatly magnified. Get ready for some sleepless nights.”

  —Carlton Stowers

  “This is the most disturbing and moving look at murder in rural America since Capote’s In Cold Blood.”

  —Gregg Olsen

  SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE

  “An exceptional book by an exceptional true crime writer. Phelps exposes long-hidden secrets and reveals disquieting truths.”

  —Kathryn Casey

  EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE

  “An insightful and fast-paced examination of the inner workings of a good cop and his bad informant, culminating in an unforgettable truth-is-stranger-than-fiction climax.”

  —Michael M. Baden, M.D.

  LETHAL GUARDIAN

  “An intense roller-coaster of a crime story . . . complex, with twists and turns worthy of any great detective mystery . . . reads more like a novel than your standard non-fiction crime book.”

  —Steve Jackson

  PERFECT POISON

  “A compelling account of terror . . . The author dedicates himself to unmasking the psychopath with facts, insight and the other proven methods of journalistic leg work.”

  —Lowell Cauffiel

  Also by M. William Phelps

  Perfect Poison

  Lethal Guardian

  Every Move You Make

  Sleep in Heavenly Peace

  Murder in the Heartland

  Because You Loved Me

  If Looks Could Kill

  I’ll Be Watching You

  Deadly Secrets

  Cruel Death

  Death Trap

  Kill For Me

  Love Her to Death

  Too Young to Kill

  Never See Them Again

  Kiss of the She-Devil

  Bad Girls

  Obsessed

  The Killing
Kind

  She Survived: Melissa (e-book)

  She Survived: Jane (e-book)

  I’d Kill For You

  To Love and To Kill

  One Breath Away

  If You Only Knew

  Don’t Tell a Soul

  Dangerous Ground

  Beautifully Cruel

  SHE SURVIVED: ANNE

  M. WILLIAM

  PHELPS

  WITH ANNE BRIDGES JOHNSON

  PINNACLE BOOKS

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Also by

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  EPILOGUE

  Teaser chapter

  Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals connected to this story.

  PINNACLE BOOKS are published by

  Kensington Publishing Corp.

  119 West 40th Street

  New York, NY 10018

  Copyright © 2018 by M. William Phelps

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

  Pinnacle and the P logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

  ISBN: 978-0-7860-3458-1

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  You are about to read a true story of intense, unfathomable violence, detailing how the victim in this story survived, and how she went on to overcome the obstacles and challenges left behind after the attack, both physical and emotional. This short e-book will be, at times, written in the first-person voice of the survivor, but also built around the framework of a third-person narrative I have constructed to give context and foundation to the overall story.

  If you are familiar with my work on television or in print, you’ll know I am an investigative journalist by trade and will often dig deep into the stories I cover, interviewing hundreds of sources and sifting through thousands of pages of documents in search of exclusive, new information connected to cases. This “true survivor” series I have developed for Kensington Publishing Corp., with my longtime editor Michaela Hamilton (who had the original idea for the series), is in no way meant to be perceived as one of those detailed, investigative pieces of journalism I am known for.

  In this new series of exclusive e-books, I aim to showcase survivors’ stories from their point of view. Even the perpetrator will play a smaller-than-usual role in these inspiring and empowering stories of emotional and physical endurance. Law enforcement, too, will have a much smaller role than is typical in my books. My goal is to allow surviving victims of brutal assaults and attempted murders the space and the opportunity to tell their stories in an unencumbered fashion, without judgment and/or hindrance. This space is for victims of heinous crimes to explain how they were able to overcome adversity and horrible life-changing injuries in the face of immeasurable evil. You will hear testimony of great strength, whereas many of us might curl up into a fetal ball and yield to the clutches of the demons plaguing many post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) survivors.

  I am humbled by the survivors’ stories—and especially by the strong women who have entrusted me to tell their stories. I have great respect and admiration for crime survivors and consider myself to be a staunch victims’ advocate. This series is one more way for me to explore that role and bring readers and viewers of my televisions series more in-depth stories of survival. The She Survived series proves there can be sunshine on the other side of a dark mountain; people can come back from a harrowing, violent experience and not allow it to consume their lives, thus taking the power back from the perpetrators.

  —M. William Phelps

  CHAPTER 1

  Steve Cochran drove as fast as he could. It was near 1:40 A.M., Saturday, April 18, 1998. John Paul Jones Hospital, just off Route 28 in Camden, Alabama, was about a twenty-minute drive from Steel Bridge Road, in Shawnee, Wilcox County. That was the location from where Steve and his passenger had taken off. Steve had no idea yet what had happened to his friend. He’d only heard bits and pieces of the incredibly violent situation.

  It had been near midnight when Steve had taken a call from another friend, Jimmy Williams. In a calm manner, devoid of any emotion, Jimmy had said, “Hey . . . someone is here and she’s been shot while helping a stranded motorist. I need you to come and pick her up and take to her to the hospital.”

  Something bad had transpired, Steve was fully aware.

  The emergency room entrance to John Paul Jones Hospital, where Anne was treated after being shot in the back. (Photo courtesy of Anne Bridges Johnson)

  Jimmy had given Steve no other details at the time.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Steve said as he drove, though he probably did not believe what he was saying. “Just hold on. It’ll be okay. We are almost there. Stay with me.”

  The pain was like a thousand needles simultaneously stabbing into her back. Anne Bridges had a sixteen-year-old son at home—the one thought was keeping her from entirely giving up. She had also lost a child, but this was unlike any pain Anne had ever experienced in her forty-one years. The burning and throbbing were excruciating. By now, Anne’s wounds had bled so much, the back of the T-shirt she had been given to wear by her attacker was saturated and sticking to her skin. This made the very idea of moving an agonizing proposition.

  Steve liked Anne—and also Jimmy, for that matter. He hadn’t asked any questions when Jimmy called out of the blue, in the middle of the night. He’d hopped into his vehicle and taken off. By the time he’d arrived at Jimmy’s Steel Bridge Road home, Anne was fading in and out, talking slowly, having trouble breath-ing. Here they were now, approaching the intersection closest to the hospital. Steve had driven through red lights and stop signs, knowing only that Anne needed medical attention quick, or she was going to die.

  Anne Johnson’s son has always been the joy of her life. Here they are around the time Anne was attacked. (Photo courtesy of Tom Johnson)

  “Hang on, Anne . . . hang on. We’re almost there.”

  Steve sped around the corner, made it to 317 McWilliams Avenue. He spied the hospital building in front of him, looked for the ER entrance sign, headed that way.

  “We’re in the parking lot, Anne. Hang in there.”

  Anne was dozing, in and out of it.

  Steve screeched the tires to a halt in front of the emergency room doors.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said, hopping out of the car, running toward the ER entrance.

  Anne fought the intense pain, wincing, trying to stay awake, taking deep breaths. Her head bobbed back and forth, her breathing now shallow, labored, becoming slower.

  Steve ran to the ER entrance. Looked left. Right. Then inside the entryway.

  There it was.

  He rushed back to the car with the wheelchair, opened the passenger-side door, and helped Anne into the chair.

  “Easy now, honey . . .”

  Just that subtle move from the car seat to the wheelchair ratcheted up the pain ten notches. Anne’s bloody T-shirt stuck to the back of the car seat. When she got up, it released like Velcro, snapped, and slapped her back, stinging those wounds yet again.

  “I don’t want you coming in with me,” Anne said.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You need to leave, Steve.” Anne struggled to get the words out. Her voice cracking, tired. “You don’t need to be involved in this.”

  Ste
ve thought about what Anne said. He didn’t want to leave his friend. However, he didn’t want to answer questions from law enforcement, either. In addition, Steve knew that if Jimmy was somehow involved in what had happened to Anne, maybe it was best he scoot out of there before people started asking questions.

  “My main thing was that I could hardly breathe,” Anne explained later, recalling the moment Steve dropped her off at the ER.

  Both of my lungs, come to find out, were collapsed. They were filling with blood. My diaphragm had been damaged—but of course we did not know any of this at the time.

  Back at the house, near the time Steve showed up to get Anne some help, Jimmy had told him: “You take her to Montgomery Hospital. You understand me?”

  Montgomery, Alabama, had three hospitals, all of which were about a ninety-minute drive from Jimmy’s Steel Bridge Road home, where Anne had been attacked and injured.

  Jimmy thought that if I was taken to Montgomery that none of this—what had happened back at his house—would come out or come back to him. He was being stupid. If I survived, of course it would all come out. I knew who hurt me. I knew what happened.