California child homicide suspects arrested in Liberty Lake

A couple facing murder charges in California for the death of a 14-year-old girl were arrested in Liberty Lake last week, according to a news release from the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office received information this month from the Sutter County Sheriff's Office that detectives were searching for two suspects wanted for murder and cruelty to a child, and that they may be in the Liberty Lake area.

The suspects, 37-year-old Sherwood D. Johnson II and 33-year-old Megan Fredrick, were arrested by Spokane County deputies on April 14.

Both have been charged as fugitives, court records say. They will be extradited back to California.

Emergency crews were called to a home in Live Oak, California, in January 2025 on a medical call. The 14-year-old who had developmental disabilities was unresponsive, the Sutter County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

The girl required nutrition through a feeding tube and a coroner's report determined her death was a homicide . She died through starvation and neglect, the release said.

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