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Murders of Annette Cooper and Todd Schultz

SOLVED1982Logan, Ohio2 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

On October 4, 1982, Annette Cooper, 18, and Todd Schultz, 19, both of Logan, Ohio, disappeared. Their remains were recovered later that month from the Hocking River and shallow graves in a cornfield in West Logan, about a mile from where they were last seen. Investigators determined that both had been shot and dismembered.

Investigators focused on Cooper's stepfather, Dale Johnston. Prosecutors alleged that Johnston killed the couple at his farm and transported their remains to the river and cornfield, although witness accounts challenged that location theory. Johnston was arrested in September 1983 and tried before a three-judge panel. Prosecutors failed to disclose witness statements that could have placed the killings at the cornfield rather than the farm, and the panel admitted evidence obtained through hypnosis. Johnston was convicted in March 1984 and sentenced to death; his scheduled October 1984 execution was stayed.

In October 1988, the Ohio Supreme Court ordered a new trial, finding that Johnston's rights had been violated by the prosecution's withholding of exculpatory evidence and by improper admission of testimony. In 1990, the Franklin County Court of Appeals ruled that much of the original trial evidence could not be used again, and the case against Johnston was dismissed; he was released in May 1990.

Johnston's initial wrongful-imprisonment claim was denied by the Hocking County court in 1993. In September 2008, Chester McKnight confessed to killing the couple, while Kenneth Linscott admitted helping dispose of their remains; both men were arrested. McKnight pleaded guilty in December 2008 and received two life sentences; Linscott pleaded guilty to misdemeanor abuse of a corpse and was released after time served. The indictment cited rape or intended rape, and efforts to escape detection for those acts, as motives.

In 2012, a Franklin County judge ruled Johnston innocent, opening the door to a damages claim, though this was contested through years of appeals involving Ohio's wrongful-imprisonment statute and the precedent set by Mansaray v. State. Legislation signed by Governor John Kasich in December 2018 addressed the statute's limitations in Brady-violation cases. In 2020, the state of Ohio settled with Johnston for $775,000.

Bill Osinski, an Akron Beacon-Journal reporter who covered the case, said there was "an astounding lack of physical evidence" against Johnston, and that local opinion — Johnston being viewed as an outsider — influenced his conviction by the judicial panel. Witness to Innocence attributed the wrongful conviction to mistaken witness identification, false or misleading forensic evidence, and prosecutorial misconduct.

Key facts

Victims
Annette Cooper, Todd Schultz
Date
1982
Location
Logan, Ohio
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1982-10-04

    Annette Cooper and Todd Schultz go missing from Logan, Ohio.

  2. 1982-10-14

    The couple's torsos are recovered from the Hocking River.

  3. 1982-10-16

    Their heads and limbs are found in shallow graves in a cornfield in West Logan.

  4. 1983-09

    Dale Johnston, Cooper's stepfather, is arrested.

  5. 1984-03

    A three-judge panel convicts Johnston and sentences him to death.

  6. 1984-06

    A stay of execution is granted for Johnston, whose execution had been scheduled for October 4, 1984.

  7. 1988-10

    The Ohio Supreme Court orders a new trial for Johnston, citing withheld evidence and improper testimony admission.

  8. 1990

    The Franklin County Court of Appeals rules much of the original trial evidence inadmissible; the case is dismissed and Johnston is released in May 1990.

  9. 1993

    The Hocking County court denies Johnston's initial wrongful-imprisonment claim.

  10. 2003

    Ohio legislation amending the state's wrongful-imprisonment statute is passed.

  11. 2008-09

    Two men, including Chester McKnight, confess to the killings and dismemberments and are arrested.

  12. 2008-12

    Chester McKnight pleads guilty and receives two life sentences; Kenneth Linscott pleads guilty to misdemeanor abuse of a corpse and is released after time served.

  13. 2012

    A Franklin County judge rules Johnston innocent, allowing him to seek damages from the state.

  14. 2014-03

    The Franklin County Court of Appeals rules the 2003 legislation does not apply retroactively; Johnston appeals.

  15. 2015

    The Ohio Supreme Court reverses the appellate ruling, finding the legislation can apply retroactively, and remands the case.

  16. 2016

    The Franklin County Court of Appeals again overturns Johnston's right to seek compensation, citing Mansaray v. State.

  17. 2018-12

    Governor John Kasich signs legislation addressing statute limitations in Brady-violation cases.

  18. 2020

    The state of Ohio settles with Dale Johnston for $775,000.

Best coverage

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People

  • Chester McKnight

    CONVICTED

    Confessed to the killings and dismemberments in 2008; pleaded guilty in December 2008 and received two life sentences.

  • Annette Cooper

    VICTIM

    18-year-old Hocking College student killed along with her fiancé in October 1982.

  • Kenneth Linscott

    CONVICTED

    Confessed alongside Chester McKnight in 2008; pleaded guilty to misdemeanor abuse of a corpse and was released after time served.

  • Todd Schultz

    VICTIM

    19-year-old fiancé of Annette Cooper, killed with her in October 1982.

  • Dale Johnston

    EXONERATED

    Cooper's stepfather; wrongly convicted in 1984 and sentenced to death, retried and found not guilty in 1990, declared innocent in 2012, and settled with the state of Ohio for $775,000 in 2020.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Logan, Ohio

39.5395, -82.4066

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Annette Cooper, 18, and her fiancé Todd Schultz, 19, of Logan, Ohio, were shot and dismembered in October 1982. Cooper's stepfather, Dale Johnston, was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death, but his conviction was overturned and the case dismissed in 1990; Chester McKnight later pleaded guilty to the murders, and Johnston was declared innocent and compensated by the state.
Where did the murders happen?
Logan, Ohio.
Who was convicted?
Chester McKnight (Confessed to the killings and dismemberments in 2008; pleaded guilty in December 2008 and received two life sentences.) and Kenneth Linscott (Confessed alongside Chester McKnight in 2008; pleaded guilty to misdemeanor abuse of a corpse and was released after time served.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Ohio

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICMurders of Annette Cooper and Todd SchultzWikipedia · 2026-07-10
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The GuardianThe Guardian · 2026-07-10