A Tennessee graduate student was brutally stabbed to death in her Knoxville apartment in 2004, in a harrowing case that remained unsolved for years.
Johnia Berry, a 21-year-old graduate student at the University of Tennessee, was discovered on December 6, 2004, with over 20 stab wounds covering her neck, head, face, chest, back, and legs.
Nearly two decades later, the case has been brought into focus again by a compelling ’20/20′ special titled ‘Blood on the Door,’ aired on May 16, rekindling public interest in this haunting crime.
Berry had relocated to the Tri-Cities area to work on her master’s degree and was on track to graduate with honors from East Tennessee State University just six weeks before the tragic incident, as reported by WATE.
But in the early hours of December 6, everything changed.
Around 4 am, Berry was stabbed repeatedly in her sleep by an intruder.
Her roommate, Jason Aymami, was also attacked when he emerged from his bedroom but managed to escape and call 911 from a nearby convenience store.
Despite efforts to save her, Berry – found clinging to life in the apartment entryway – died before reaching the hospital.
The investigation that followed was lengthy and complicated.
Johnia Berry, a 21-year-old University of Tennessee graduate student, was found on December 6, 2004, with over 20 stab wounds to her neck, head, face, chest, back, and legs
Berry had moved to the Tri-Cities area to pursue a master’s degree, and was set to graduate with honors from East Tennessee State University, just six weeks before the fatal attack. Pictured: Pictures inside Johnia Berry’s parent’s home of her as a child and with her fiancé
Police were struck by the amount of blood at the scene – spattered across the doorknob, floor, and bedroom door. Investigators also recovered the murder weapon, a bent and broken steak knife, in the hallway outside Berry’s room.
‘What stood out to me the most about the weapon is how damaged it was,’ Knox County Sheriff’s Detective AmyLynn Delgado said on ’20/20.’
‘It was a small steak knife, but the handle was broken. The blade was bent… it was very violent, just given the force to break the handle.’
Because of the sheer number of stab wounds, investigators suspected a personal motive and focused first on those closest to Berry, including her fiancé and her roommate.
‘We really focused mostly on her closest circle,’ Delgado said.
Berry’s fiancé was eventually cleared after cell phone records placed him in Michigan at the time of the murder.
Attention then turned to Aymami, who told police he had been watching TV when Berry went to bed and claimed to have seen the intruder face-to-face.
Despite efforts to save her, Berry – found clinging to life in the apartment entryway – died before reaching the hospital
in May 2006, tragedy struck the investigation itself as lead investigator Assistant Chief Keith Lyon was killed in a car crash while on duty. His death devastated Berry’s family who said that they spoke with Lyon nearly every day. Pictured: Johnia Berry’s mother, Joan Berry
His description – of a man about 5’8″, 150 pounds – led to a composite sketch and a billboard campaign by May 2005.
By the end of that year, with no solid leads, Governor Phil Bredesen doubled the reward for information to $60,000, WATE reported. Investigators had conducted over 300 interviews and tested 80 DNA samples, but still had no motive.
Then, in May 2006, tragedy struck the investigation itself as lead investigator Assistant Chief Keith Lyon was killed in a car crash while on duty. His death devastated Berry’s family who said that they spoke with Lyon nearly every day.
‘We called every day,’ her mother, Joan Berry, told ’20/20.’ ‘There was that feeling that detectives and the sheriff’s office weren’t doing enough, when in reality they were working this every day. There just weren’t any answers.’
For the next year, the family continued to plead for information.
Then, in April 2007, came the breakthrough when someone who recognized the composite sketch on a billboard contacted police.
That tip led police to Taylor Lee Olson, a man in his early 20s with a history of petty crimes.
Months later, on September 24, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Olson, 21, in connection with Berry’s murder.
In April 2007, came the breakthrough when someone who recognized the composite sketch on a billboard contacted police. That tip led police to Taylor Lee Olson (pictured) a man in his early 20s with a history of petty crimes
Despite being 6’3′ – much taller than the original suspect description – Berry’s father, Michael Berry, (pictured) told WATE there was still a resemblance and pointed out the sketch was ‘given by someone that was getting stabbed at 4 o’clock in the morning.’
Olson initially denied involvement before admitting to entering Berry’s apartment through an unlocked back door, saying he was looking for car keys during an attempted theft, according to officials.
Despite being 6’3′ – much taller than the original suspect description – Berry’s father, Michael Berry, told WATE there was still a resemblance and pointed out the sketch was ‘given by someone that was getting stabbed at 4 o’clock in the morning.’
The arrest came after Olson voluntarily submitted DNA during an unrelated arrest in July. He became a person of interest shortly after, and was taken into custody at West Town Mall on September 21.
He was indicted on seven counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, and aggravated burglary.
But, before his trial could begin in March 2008, Olson was found dead in his jail cell by apparent suicide.
The ’20/20′ special revisits Berry’s grisly murder, the stalled investigation and the dogged determination of her family – especially her mother – to keep the case alive and find justice for a life taken far too soon.
