CA Couple Wanted For Murder, Child Cruelty Arrested In Washington

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A man and woman wanted in Sutter County as suspects in the death of a child were arrested in Washington, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office said on Friday.

Sherwood Johnson II, 37, and Megan M. Fredrick, 33, were arrested on April 16 in Liberty Lake and will be extradited to California, the sheriff's office said.

A public information officer for the Sutter County Sheriff's Office says the couple is wanted for allegedly neglecting a child that was younger than 15 to the point that they died.

The case is from last year, so they may have been in the Spokane area for several months.

CA couple wanted for murder, child cruelty arrested in Spokane County

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Two people went before a Spokane County judge on Friday who were wanted out of Sutter County, California on charges of murder and willful cruelty to a

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In January 2025, Sutter County Sheriff’s Deputies and medical personnel were dispatched in Live Oak for a medical aid call. It was reported that a 14-year-old developmentally disabled female juvenile was unresponsive. Life-saving measures were attempted; however, the juvenile was ultimately pronounced deceased. Due to the suspicious nature of the circumstances, detectives responded to investigate.

Over the course of the investigation, it was determined the juvenile required round-the-clock care and was only able to receive nutrition through a feeding tube. Based on the findings of detectives and the coroner report, the cause of death was determined to be starvation and neglect, with the manner of death ruled a homicide.

The suspects, Megan Fredrick, 33, and Sherwood Johnson II, 37, were identified as the victim’s primary caregivers. Based on the investigation, arrest warrants were obtained for both individuals.

The suspects had since relocated out of state. With the assistance of the Spokane County Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement & Narcotics (RAVEN) Task Force, both were apprehended on their outstanding warrants. They are currently being held at the Spokane County Jail pending extradition to Sutter County.

Sutter County Sheriff's Office​

The child reportedly was non-verbal and suffered from Dravet syndrome.

The adoptive mother of the child died and then these two became the guardians to the girl who was only in their care for nine months.

Dravet syndrome is a rare, severe, and often treatment-resistant genetic epilepsy, usually caused by an SCN1A gene mutation. Appearing in infancy (usually before age 1), it begins with frequent, prolonged, febrile seizures, leading to developmental delays, behavioral issues, ataxia, and a significantly increased risk of premature mortality.

 

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Gwen