Blount Co. Jury Convicts Man in Child Kidnapping, Rape Case

A Blount County jury has convicted Johnny Chandler, 57, of Smoke Rise, on all charges tied to the 2024 disappearance of a 10-year-old girl from Blountsville, bringing a measure of closure to a case that shook the community.

Chandler was found guilty of Rape in the First Degree, Kidnapping in the First Degree, two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Child Under 12, Unlawful Imprisonment in the First Degree, and Obstructing Governmental Operations.

The child was reported missing in the early morning hours of March 10, 2024. Law enforcement moved fast. Local, state, and federal agencies joined the search. The FBI North Alabama Violent Crime Task Force later recovered the child alive at a residence in Warrior. Chandler was arrested at the scene.

Jurors — nine women and three men — heard four days of testimony. Evidence showed that after his arrest, Chandler admitted to picking the child up outside her home in the early morning hours of March 10. He also confessed to raping her at his residence in Smoke Rise.

Investigators later uncovered a hidden space inside that home. During a search, officers found a concealed hole in the wall of a basement stairwell, hidden behind a portable heater. Inside were bedding materials and a child’s stuffed animal.

The victim testified that Chandler told her to hide in that space when law enforcement first responded after her cell phone pinged at the residence. Because of that, officers did not find her during the initial search.

Chandler knew the victim through her stepfather. The family had stayed at the home about two years earlier. The child testified she had never seen the concealed space during those visits and said Chandler showed it to her after bringing her there.

Medical personnel from Children’s of Alabama and forensic experts with the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences testified that Chandler’s DNA was found in the victim’s underwear.

Testimony also showed that Chandler had been grooming the child over time, including buying her a cell phone and other items.

District Attorney Pamela Casey called the case one of the worst her office has handled.

“This case is one of the most disturbing we have seen,” Casey said. “A 10-year-old child was taken and concealed inside a wall in a residence. The level of planning, concealment, and abuse involved in this case is difficult to comprehend. Chandler has forfeited his place in a free society.”

She credited the speed and coordination of the search effort.

“Because of the quick and coordinated actions of law enforcement, this child was found alive. That cannot be overstated,” Casey said. “Every hour matters in cases involving missing children, and their work made the difference.”

Chandler also faces additional charges involving other children. Authorities say he has been charged with Human Trafficking in the First Degree and Reckless Distribution of Pornographic Material. Those cases remain pending.

“No child should ever experience the fear and trauma this victim endured,” Casey said. “While today’s verdict is an important step toward justice, our focus remains on the continued healing of this child.”

“Crimes against children demand the strongest response our justice system can provide,” she said. “My office will continue to stand between predators and our children, and we will pursue the most serious consequences available under the law. The only reason that Chandler cannot be sentenced to death for these actions is that the law was not in place at the time. Had it been, we would have aggressively pursued that option.”

Sentencing is set for May 26, 2026. Chandler faces 10 to 99 years, up to life, on the Class A felony convictions of first-degree kidnapping and first-degree rape.

Casey also thanked the agencies involved in the case, including the Blountsville Police Department, ALEA, the FBI North Alabama Violent Crime Task Force, the Blount County Children’s Center, and the Covington County Child Advocacy Center.

“This case is a reminder of both the evil that exists and the good that comes from dedicated professionals working together to protect the innocent,” Casey said.