An Iowa man is facing life in prison after he was convicted of gunning down a random mother when she refused to “come get high” and told him to “f–k off” when he catcalled her in the street.
James Bernard Johnson, 43, was found guilty of first-degree murder Wednesday for the 2024 killing of 42-year-old Nikki Loffredo, whom he spotted on the sidewalk just before 4 a.m. on July 27 and catcalled from his car for her to come party with him.
“Who are you? Never mind, f–k off,” Loffredo, a bartender, responded to Johnson as he drove by and leered out the window of his GMC SUV, according to the Polk County Attorney’s Office.
Johnson claimed he felt “disrespected” by Loffredo’s comments — so he pointed a pistol out the window and blasted off four shots at her before speeding away.
Loffredo was walking on a quiet residential street outside of a middle school when she was shot.
Johnson claimed that he’d only fired the weapon at the ground and wanted just to frighten Loffredo, but she was fatally wounded and died two days later.
He had seen Loffredo walking earlier in the day and decided to approach her later when he came across her again. The pair had no prior connection whatsoever, according to prosecutors.
Johnson was arrested on Aug 2, with investigators uncovering text messages between him and his girlfriend where he admitted that he’d “popped” somebody earlier.
Johnson had been high on cocaine and marijuana the day of the shooting, though it is unclear if he was intoxicated when he pulled the trigger.
He has previous convictions for drug offenses.
Jurors deliberated for mere hours after his weeklong trial.
He will be sentenced on June 20.
Loffredo’s family described her as “very kind and compassionate, and was always willing to help anyone in need.”
“She loved to spoil her nephews and take them to movies and Chuck E. Cheese,” according to her obituary.
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