Murder on a Lonely Road: A Beauty Queen, a Privileged Killer, and a Twenty-Five Year Search for Justice

by George Pawlaczyk, Beth Hundsdorfer

A brutal murder that shocked residents of Missouri—and a killer it took 25 years to bring to justice...

On June 17, 1985, twenty-year-old beauty pageant winner Jackie Johns's car was found abandoned, the interior drenched in blood. Four days later, her bludgeoned, nude body was found floating in a nearby lake. Sheriff Dwight McNiel vowed to catch Jackie's killer, however long it took. His prime suspect: local rich kid Gerald Carnahan. But despite suspicions, the evidence never managed to add up, and Carnahan slipped away again and again.

Throughout the next two decades, multiple other women went missing, some murdered, some never found. Fearful residents believed that a murderous bogeyman was connected to all these crimes. Carnahan's conviction on the attempted kidnapping charge of another young woman brought his name into the mix over and over again--but all of the cases remained unsolved for decades, until a highway patrol sergeant sent DNA from the Jackie Johns's murder for testing and came up with a quadrillions-to-one match to Carnahan.

This is the true account of a murderer who thought he was beyond punishment, and the lawmen who would not relent until justice was finally done.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 2012

Reviews

[Valerity (Val)]

True crime story about a 2 decades long unsolved murder of a small town beauty queen, and the long fight to get it solved...mistakes made along the way, wrong turns, etc. And who it eventually turns out to be. A bit dragged out, but it eventually gets there.

[Laura]

I don't read many true-crime books, but this one interested me because I lived near Nixa, Missouri when Jackie Johns was murdered there in the 80's. This book explores the twists and turns of the case in the 25 years it took to convict probable serial killer Gerald Carnahan of the crime.

[Jimmy Chaillot]

This one is about the small town murder of the popular girl. This one took a long time because they never had the evidence to nail the killer but that good ol DNA nailed him.

I was going to give this one a good recommendation however it does one thing I absolutely hate in this book. It uses a popular unsolved case and uses it for content.

As most of you know the Springfield 3 is a big unsolved case and this book tries to tie this killer to them when it’s not his MO. Now they do have another unsolved case which does match his MO and I can believe he did it but the Springfield 3? That is a huge stretch.

It’s a decent recommendation from me but you can pass on it if you wish.

[Cari]

Murder on a Lonely Road is a true crime book that hits a little too close to home, as it is about a convicted murderer (thought to be a serial killer) whose crimes were committed in rural southern Missouri. The book is centered around the murder of Jackie Johns in Nixa, Missouri back in 1985, but also touched base on the murders of Debbie Sue Lewis and Kelle Workman, as well as the disappearance of three women from Springfield, MO. The only of these cases that were ever solved was the murder of Jackie Johns--and it took twenty years for it to happen. Gerald Carnahan will remain in prison for the rest of his life and I hope that one day he will confess to any other murders he may have committed, as the victims' families deserve closure.

Murder on a Lonely Road goes through the details of the investigation that devastated and frustrated a community. While this is non-fiction, it's written in a way that is descriptive and personal, making it read like a murder mystery. It was just extra eerie knowing it all really happened and could easily happen again. Although I don't remember hearing/seeing anything about the trial and/or conviction of Carnahan, I do remember seeing the missing persons posters everywhere of Sheryl Street, Suzie Streeter, and Stacy McCall. It was kind of surreal reading this and seeing their faces in the photos in the center of the book, and knowing what they likely suffered at the hands of this monster.

Although this was not an enjoyable subject, I found Murder on a Lonely Road to be an engaging read that I couldn't put down.

[Jean]

Interesting true crime. So very glad the case did not get lost and forgotten.

[Claire P]

Even with a one-star rating, I flew though this book. Not because it was well-written, and not because I learned anything new about life or crime, but because the story was unfamiliar to me. The murders that took place in the book are so senseless, and the killer was so completely protected due to his wealth and privilege that my sense of outrage wouldn't let me put it down until I found out how he was (finally) convicted of murder.
The story focuses mainly on his first killing, that of Jackie Johns, since it's the one he is convicted for. However, if I had to hear her described one more time as the 'town darling' or 'beauty queen', I was going to open a vein. Despite the vapid sobriquets, Jackie comes across as a genuine, spunky woman who was just beginning to feel her way toward her future when she was killed. She had been receiving odd phone calls from a male (other women in the town reported this as well) before her death, and had received some semi-anonymous gifts from someone suspect.
The author doesn't go further into the calls or gifts, but spends time describing her car make/model multiple times. (Yes, it's a Camaro, yes it's where she struggled with her killer, and yes, it's dirty.) It's as if he doesn't trust us to remember relevant information...and at the same time overwhelms us with other insignificant details.
Reading the book was an exercise in frustration, but the story itself should not be forgotten, since the killer *might* possibly be linked to several similar Missouri murders. Again, there are some tantalizing hints thrown out, but we don't hear any solid information from police in other counties about other evidence. I know that law enforcement won't want to discuss cases that it is actively working, but I think we could have gotten a sentence or two about whether the killer is still a person of interest.
Finally, if you are the kind of person who wants to know WHY someone does something (other than just being a psychopath or sociopath), you don't want to read this one. You simply have to accept the fact that this killer feels it to be an itch that he must scratch. An altogether unsatisfying read, but a worthwhile story to Google.

[Lesley Goldthorpe]

There is something especially unsettling about true crime when it happens in a place where you should feel completely safe—and Murder on a Lonely Road definitely gave me that feeling.
This was dark, disturbing, and at times incredibly frustrating. Pawlaczyk and Hundsdorfer take you through a case filled with fear, unanswered questions, investigative twists, and the determination to uncover what really happened.
What got to me most was knowing this wasn't some fictional thriller where the author could make everything fit neatly together in the end. These were real people, real families, and real lives forever changed. That makes every detail hit a little differently.
At times, the amount of information slowed the story down for me, but once I got invested in the case, I wanted to know how everything connected. And the deeper I got into it, the more disturbing it became.
It's one of those true-crime books that reminds you the scariest stories aren't always the ones involving ghosts, haunted houses, or fictional serial killers.
Sometimes it's an empty road.
A stranger.
And being in the wrong place at exactly the wrong time.
Creepy, heartbreaking, and incredibly sad. If you enjoy true crime that really digs into the investigation and the people behind the headlines, this is definitely worth reading.
And maybe don't read it before driving down a lonely road at night. 😳🖤

[Anne Brown]

This book was particularly interesting to me since I lived in Springfield, MO when Jackie Johns was murdered and was still there when the book ended. While the writing isn't spectacular, the authors did employ narrative non-fiction which made it a bit easier to read. I was also familiar with all the locations mentioned so it was easy to visualize all the events. I'm sorry several other murders weren't solved - and I have no doubt Gerald Carnahan is a reasonable suspect in them - but am glad for the final outcome for Jackie's family. Just sorry that money and privilege protected this sorry SOB for so long.

[Dona]

How did I not ever hear about the case of Jackie Johns, who was only on year older than me and who was senselessly murdered in Missouri in 1985? (The opening of the book really brings back how teenage girls were teased, dismissed and treated back then . . . I had blotted it out!) A competently written and quick read outlining the case of Gerry Carnahan (no relation to Governor Mel), sociopath from Nixa, Missouri who most likely killed other women as well as Jackie. In the end, it takes 25 years, but DNA and excellent police work come through for a conviction and sentencing of prison for life.

[Marnie]

This is a fascinating story of how advancements in science have aided in caching criminals. At times it was difficult to follow the story as it went forward and back in time, especially keeping track of various people's experiences within several months. At other points, I found too much repetition of parts of the story already covered.

[Summer Fields]

This was an interesting read, especially since I grew up around the area, for anyone that likes true crime books. I can actually remember some of the events mentioned in the book happening. The authors did a great job at taking you through the mystery/actions that unfolded after Jackie's murder.

[Laurie]

clearly written, fast-paced true crime account that focuses on the contrast between the waitress victim, who lived in a trailer, and the wealthy murderer, who could always get out on bail and who felt contempt for women. Good selection of photos of the people in the case.

[Ronnie Cramer]

This book is about a muder case that went cold for many years; it does a good job of recounting the many steps it took to finally reach a resolution.

[Kylee Mullikin]

this book is super repetitive and its much longer than it needed to be. Nice overall story but just too much repeating of the same information

[Sheila]

Good read. Keeps you interested.

[Kathy]

Could not put this true story down! A real page turner! Highly recommend
!
!

[Wendy Decknatel]

Tense Read

Good story. Too bad Carnahan wasn't found guilty of all the crimes he committed. Took me a while to finish.

[Jim]

"Murder On A Lonely Road", by George Pawlaczyk, and Beth Hundsdorfer is the true account of the murder of small town beauty queen Jackie Johns. A very sharp and concise arrangement of the story from murder to sentencing of the culprit. Never any doubt as to the actual murderer, this is more of a marathon to get a victim some justice. Taking place in the very small town of Nixa, Mo. and right up through the murder trial taking place just outside of St. Louis. The 311 pages flew by very quickly as the story developed and it's principle cast was developed. Plenty of facts and side highlights are also introduced very nicely. Not being a "who done it" , because we already know. Yes, it's nice to see good guys get a much needed win. The pain and suffering the John's family had to endure over the years was incredible. I actually give this a 3.5 or 3.75 stars out of 5. It did get a bit dry from time to time. (As expected) I'd recommend this to anyone who likes reading real crime/ murder stories. It reads lightening quick. Give it a good read and root for peace for the John's family.

[Raised in Nixa]

Some Details Are Unclear To Me, and some background information is a bit off. I'd like to see a map of all this.

I am very familiar with where the 7-11 store was, the adjacent Mobil Home Park, CC road, HW 160, where the John's lived and where Garnett Carnahan's home is. It is a nice home and property, but it is clearly a stretch to reference it as a 'compound'. That is pretty much a minor issue tho. The book did not make it clear where Gerry's truck was spotted. Was it spotted on 'Old CC' and additionally on 'Old CC' near the 7-11? Was it spotted on HW 160 near the 7-11 too? If his truck was broken down that night how did he get to his home off Fremont across from the golf course? ...and later to the storage area he also said he went to that night? There was no mention of a second vehicle. The book does say he rode to work the next morning with Sara/step daughter. Where was his truck? *Guilty!!!

[Kathy]

Authors Beth and George are known locally as exceptional investigative journalism, and in this book - their first - they continue to demonstrate their competence. It's not really a murder mystery; we know from the book jacket (and from local history, perhaps) who the murderer is, and that he will be convicted. Rather, it's a story of criminal justice. It helps the reader appreciate how much work goes into investigation and prosecution. It reads more like newspaper reporting than like a novel, and is a good read for those interested in local (St. Louis/southern Illinois) history and in true crime stories.

[Xanthi]

I like crime fiction and I like narrative non-fiction. I'm not as keen when the latter starts reading like the former, which is what happened for me with this book - especially in the first half of the book. I kept having to remind myself that I was not reading a novel. I suspect the authors were aiming to set the scene of the crime and bring the victims character and daily life .... well, to life but seemed to have achieved the opposite for me.
As to the crime itself and the outcome, it was tragic, brutal, frustrating but ultimately justice was served. It was a pity, though, that no insight was presented on the why.

[Casey]

This was the story of the murder of Jackie Johns in Nixa, Missouri. This was an unsolved murder case for over 20 years, and the reporters used newspaper articles, court records and reports, and interviews with local officials to compile this book. However, the family was not interviewed and the book lacks the personal touch of understanding the murder through the despair of a family's tragedy. The writing was a bit choppy, and if I were not from southern Missouri nor had a personal interest in the story, I would not have finished reading.

[Linda]

I remember this crime because it happened in Nixa, Mo. ten miles from where we live. I also know some of the people in the book and one of my best friends moved into the house the killer lived in when he killed Jackie Johns. She and her husband moved here from Colorada and had never heard of the murder. It is a page turner and I read the over 300 pages in two days!

[Nancy]

Even after 30 years, this one still is a little too close to home--literally. Two people I know lived within blocks of the confirmed abduction/attempted abduction. I'm glad Gerald Carnahan was finally convicted and I admire the careful collection of the evidence. I probably wouldn't have read this book if it weren't local, but it was a detailed account of the case from beginning to end.

[Julie Thomas]

It's not the most well written book, but it's not terrible. I love true crime, especially about Missouri, so I found this interesting. Would have liked to hear more from the families, but I do like the factual tone.

[Jan Daker]

This is a true murder mystery written by two local newspaper reporters. 1st time I've read an entire book in an afternoon.......sometimes the truth is more fascinating than fiction.

[Linda]

Couldn't put down.

Very well written. Engrossed the whole time and storyline easy to follow. Had to put down several times and couldn't wait to read more.

[Tom Nolan]

paperback

[Steven Flores]

The book was pretty decent. But I felt that it flipped flop a lot. Over all I thought the book was ok, and a little boring.