In 1998, when the body of a young girl washed up on the shore of the Columbia River in Warrenton, Oregon, it was easy to assume she was another vulnerable person drawn to the Astoria-Megler bridge to end her own life. But her body would tell another story. Authorities had to work quickly to identify her, her killer, and his motive. During the investigation a secret life was uncovered, one that abused and exploited children for years. In today’s case, we’ll discuss the murder of Heather Fraser and the monster who took her life and negatively impacted dozens of others.
Episode Host: Emily Rowney
Copy of police sketch, photo from Paula Zahn
Heather Fraser, photos from Findagrave, Paula Zahn, and Oregon Live
Martin Allen Johnson, photos from VINE, Washington County, and Oregon Live
If you’d like more episodes of Murder in the Rain, Patreon members at the $5/mo+ level, gain access to exclusive episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and more.
Follow us on:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mintherain/
Website https://www.murderintherain.com/
Sources
On The Case with Paula Zahn - “Spreadsheet of Terror” S20E13 | BeenVerified - Martin Allen Johnson | Findlaw - Martin Allen Johnson vs. Premo | Case Law - Johnson v. Reilly | Case Text - State v. Johnson | Washington County DA - Martin Allen Johnson Found Guilty | Statesman Journal - 02.27.1998 For Stevens Park Body Identified | Corvallis Gazette Times - 02.27.1998 Body of Girl Found | Murderpedia - Martin Allen Johnson | Seattle Times Archive - TV Show Leads to Arrest | Albany Democrat-Herald - 02.22.1999 Man Arrested in Florida | Hillsboro News Times - Retrial of Martin Johnson | The Cinemaholic - Heather Fraser Murder | Wikipedia - Megler Bridge | Open Oregon - A City of Bridges | The Oregonian - Portland Bridges Ranked | Oregon Live - Former Death Row Inmate |
The true crime world is so fascinating! I’ve always found it intriguing how small details, like an address book, can unravel entire cases. It’s wild how something so ordinary can become a major clue. I’ve been diving into podcasts and documentaries lately, and the way real-life stories unfold is both chilling and addictive. When I’m not binge-watching true crime, I’m usually buried in writing projects or research papers https://99papers.com/essay-writing/ One thing that’s saved me tons of stress when I’ve got deadlines coming up is a service I’ve used that really helped me stay on top of things—especially when I needed quality work fast!