*A 43-year-old Iowa man, James Bernard Johnson, has been convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting Nikki Loffredo, 42, in Des Moines in July 2024.
According to TooFab, Johnson encountered Loffredo while she was walking home early in the morning and reportedly propositioned her to “come get high” with him. When she dismissed him, allegedly saying, “Who are you? Never mind, f–k off,” Johnson later admitted he felt “disrespected” and fired four shots from his vehicle.
Although he testified that he aimed at the ground merely to scare her, surveillance and doorbell footage showed otherwise. Loffredo, who had no prior connection to Johnson, died from her injuries two days later. The Polk County Attorney’s Office revealed that Johnson, after the shooting, sped away and later texted his girlfriend that he had “‘popped’ someone.
Johnson was arrested days later, on August 2. Evidence presented during the trial included videos of the shooting and his admissions about drug use that night, involving cocaine and marijuana. He also acknowledged during testimony that he lied in initial interviews with investigators, saying, “I feel bad, I feel terrible. I didn’t mean to hurt her, I certainly didn’t mean to kill her.”
Despite his claims of remorse, prosecutors argued Johnson was out in the neighborhood that night actively looking for trouble, armed illegally due to past felony convictions. Prosecutor Levi Grove stated Johnson “was trolling the neighborhood looking for a reason to use that gun.”
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Pedestrian randomly murdered in Des Moines, IA
Police say, James Bernard Johnson, 43, drove up to Nikki Marie Loffredo, 42, and shot her multiple times for no reason.
There is no known connection between the two.#HateCrime pic.twitter.com/PMNKWAWRZ8
— National Conservative (@NatCon2022) August 7, 2024
A Polk County jury found Johnson guilty after a weeklong trial. He faces a mandatory life sentence. His sentencing is scheduled for June 20.
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