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Arizona mom of missing baby released from prison

By WTOP Staff

PAUL DAVENPORT
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona woman convicted in the disappearance of her young son was released from prison Friday without ever providing authorities details on the whereabouts of the missing boy.

Elizabeth Johnson carried a cardboard box of belongings as she walked out of prison just after midnight and was driven away by her attorney to an undisclosed location. She has no plans to make any public statements.

Johnson, 27, is “happy to be out, excited about her future, and optimistic about how things are going to go for her,” her lawyer Marc Victor said.

The release from prison was the latest twist in the case that began with the December 2009 disappearance of 8-month-old “Baby Gabriel” and included police searches of trash containers and a Texas landfill.

Authorities have said Johnson initially told the boy’s father that she killed her son and dumped him in a trash bin but later recanted and said she gave the infant to a couple at a park in San Antonio, Texas. With no sign of the child, prosecutors were only able to file lesser charges against her, including kidnapping, custodial interference and unlawful imprisonment.

A jury deadlocked on the kidnapping charge — the most serious count against her that could have brought more than two decades in prison. She was sentenced to 5 1/4 years on the interference and imprisonment convictions.

Despite Johnson being released from prison, the case isn’t necessarily finished. Authorities could still bring charges against her if the child turns up dead.

Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Angela Andrews, the prosecutor who tried the case, said she thinks about the missing baby every day and is bothered by the lack of closure.

“For the family, for the prosecuting team, for the investigators who worked the case, there is absolutely no closure in the case,” Andrews said.

At sentencing in December 2012, Johnson sobbed and apologized but didn’t provide any information about the baby’s whereabouts. Prosecutors had offered to only seek probation if Johnson would tell them Gabriel’s whereabouts, but she refused.

“I wanted to give Gabriel a life that was better than I had growing up,” Johnson told the judge at the time. “What I have done is unbelievable. There’s not really anything I can say for myself.

“I would convict myself,” she added. “It’s horrible. … I do deserve the max.”

Police say Johnson ran off to Texas with the child as a way to retaliate against his father for ending their tumultuous relationship. The father was never suspected in the disappearance of the child.

The boy was last seen with his mother on Dec. 26, 2009, at a hotel in San Antonio.

Investigators said Johnson took the child from Arizona to Texas, stayed for a week and then took a bus to Florida without him. She was arrested in Florida on Dec. 30, 2009.

Johnson had been fighting with the boy’s father about whether to give up Gabriel for adoption. She signed over temporary guardianship of the boy to a Scottsdale couple for about 10 days before she picked him up and left Arizona.

“What Elizabeth has done has not only robbed me but also my friends and family,” the boy’s father, Logan McQueary, said during Johnson’s sentencing hearing. “I did not get to hear Gabe’s first word. I did not get to see him walk or run. … I do not get to see what a great man he would have been.”

Andrews said the father’s uncertainly about the fate of his child still disturbs her.

“Most of my reactions in the past couple days have been less of her walking out of prison and more about listening to Logan talk about how every day he still wonders what happened to his son,” the prosecutor said.

Johnson’s attorney said his client does not know the boy’s whereabouts.

“Cutting right to the chase, does Elizabeth know where Gabriel is? Answer, no,” Victor said. “The last time she saw Gabriel was four and a half years ago. Ten minutes after Gabriel was handed to that couple, she didn’t know where Gabriel was.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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