Suvechha Sarkar
Jared Raymond Johns was a 24-year-old respected veteran and a loving father of two. On September 11, 2018, his promising life came to a devastating end when he tragically died by suicide. As his family began searching for answers, they discovered concerning text messages that he had received from two other individuals. The episode titled ‘Tortured Veteran’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Web of Lies’ explores the investigation of the case, which revealed a sextortion scam operated from inside a correctional facility. The episode also features interviews with his loved ones, who continued fighting for justice until the truth came to light.
Jared Johns’ Death Was Determined to be a Suicide by the Medical Examiner
Born on March 19, 1994, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jared Raymond Johns brought tremendous joy to the lives of Kevin Johns and Kathy Bowling. Growing up in a loving household, he had always been like a best friend to his twin brother, Jacob Johns. Besides that, Jared shared an incredible bond with his sister, Kimilee Johns, and brother, Bryan Johns. Sometime around early 2004, their parents began drifting apart, resulting in their divorce. However, Kevin and Kathy remained close as they shared the custody of their kids. Eventually, Kathy got married to Gary Bowling, who had a son, Evan Bowling, and a daughter, Evie Bowling. According to his mother, Jared had decided to enlist in the army on the day of the September 11 attacks in 2001.
Jared graduated from Hillcrest High School in 2012 before officially joining the US Army. By 2013, he served as a gunman and was deployed in Afghanistan. Reports state that he injured his back shortly thereafter and went to Germany for treatment. Kathy stated that he was diagnosed with depression and PTSD there. While staying there, he got into a relationship. After receiving a general discharge from the army, he returned home on October 15, 2015. Jared then received news of the birth of his son, Liam Johns, in Germany. Shortly after, he got a second chance at love when he met Kirsten, and they hit it off quickly. They eventually welcomed their son, Jaxon Johns, who brought immense joy into their lives. The veteran began working at an AT&T store and even welcomed a pup into his family.
Sadly, Jared and Kirsten’s relationship began deteriorating, and they separated, but they shared the custody of their son. He began exploring his options on dating apps, but found love again when he met Lisa at work. Things changed on September 11, 2018, when Jacob noticed that Jared hadn’t called him. As Jacob drove to his brother’s house, he noticed his jeep parked outside, and upon entering the 24-year-old’s apartment, found a suicide note. When Jacob opened Jared’s bedroom door, he found his brother dead from a gunshot wound. The former quickly called 911, and after officials arrived, they found a gun in close proximity to Jared’s remains. They found one missing bullet from the gun’s magazine. The autopsy reportedly determined his cause of death as a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and the manner of death was ruled a suicide.
Investigators Traced a Blackmail Scheme to Two Inmates at a South Carolina Prison
Authorities at the scene had reportedly first spoken to Jacob, who informed them about the note where Jared had written, “I’m sorry. I messed up. I love you all. This is not what I wanted. Tell my sons I was a good man.” According to reports, Lisa informed his family members that Jared had recently received a call from two concerned parents, including a man named James Harris, who claimed to be the father of a 17-year-old girl named Caroline. As per official records, the man claimed that there had been an exchange of explicit images and inappropriate messages between the 24-year-old and the girl on a dating application. Further records suggest that Lisa told Jared’s family that the supposed parents even made a police officer call Jared, threatening to put him in jail.
On the show, Kathy stated that after law enforcement returned Jared’s phone, the family discovered messages between the girl and Jared, revealing that they had briefly spoken and exchanged their normal pictures before the conversation ceased. According to investigative records, after reviewing texts between the girls’ parents and Jared, his family found that the parents had asked for $1,189 to cancel their daughter’s phone subscription, indicating it was a scam. According to Kathy’s statements, she began sending messages to the parents’ phone before receiving a private message on Facebook from a woman, who informed her that the woman’s brother, a prisoner, knew the scammers were inmates at the Lee Correctional Institution.
According to official records, when Kathy spoke to the prisoner, she learned that two inmates were posing as a 17-year-old on the dating applications, and the inmates acted as the parents of the supposed girl to extort money from veterans. When Jared’s family informed authorities, they reportedly checked the cellphone tower near the prison. According to court records, the cell tower pinged at roughly the same times as when Jared was being texted. Reports specify that the officials concluded that the prisoner had been using burner phones and spoofing the numbers to mislead the veterans. They quickly identified two inmates, John William Dobbins Jr. and Carl Richard Smith Jr., using contraband phones to contact the 24-year-old. In May 2019, they were finally charged for the sextortion blackmail scheme.
John is Likely Out on Parole, While Carl is Incarcerated at a South Carolina Prison Today
At the time when John was charged with blackmail, he was already serving a 25-year prison term for his third methamphetamine conviction. On the other hand, Carl was already serving 15 years in prison for battery and assault of an aggravated nature. After they were charged with blackmail, they faced an additional sentence of up to 10 years and a fine amounting to $5,000. According to public reports, in May 2022, John pleaded guilty to the blackmail charge stemming from Jared’s death. He was eventually sentenced to 7 years behind bars.
In May 2022, Carl entered into a plea deal by pleading guilty to the related charges in exchange for a reduced sentence. In August 2022, he was ultimately sentenced to 4 years in prison. As of writing, he is serving his sentence at the Manning Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina. His projected release date is set on June 2, 2028. According to prison records, John has been released from custody, likely on parole from the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
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