For over a decade I wrote news updates about the case of Scott Johnson, I thought I knew the details of his story intimately – but the news reports, articles and interviews to date have only scrapped the surface. There is so much more to learn about this case and in turn about our society, our police and justice system, and a family’s remarkable persistence.
A new book from Scott’s older brother Steve Johnson details his family’s quest for justice that spanned over three decades.
It’s a riveting read. A highly detailed account of the many different stages the investigation into Scott Johnson’s sudden death. Every avenue explored, every roadblock encountered, every accusation along the way It’s a journey filled with confusion, despair, self-questioning, and relentless determination.
A Thousand Miles from Care takes it title from an advertising campaign about the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly, “seven miles from the city, and a thousand miles from care.”
It’s a story about families, friendships, grief and seeking answers. It’s also a detailed account of police failure, discrimination, prejudice and incompetence. There are many moments which will likely fill you with rage, and glimmers of hope for a better world.
The US born mathematician Steve Johnson’s naked body was found at the base of cliffs in Manly in 1988, initially his death was ruled a suicide.
It was a verdict that confused his family and friends. Johnson has just found out he’d provided enough evidence to gain his PhD after years of study, he appeared to be happy in a long term relationship, and had shown no signs of being under mental stress, and why was he naked?
Steve Johnson suddenly found himself travelling to the other side of the globe to deal with his brother’s sudden death. The police quickly explaining the death of a gay man as a suicide. “That’s what they do,” one of the first police officers on the scene told him.
Johnson was surprised how uninterested the police were in gathering information about his brother’s final days. A coronial inquest soon locked in the determination that Scott has taken his own life.
As time went on though the family kept asking questions, and as stories began to emerge about gay bashings in Sydney, reports of gay beats and gangs who would attack those frequenting them, Scott Johnson’s family began to wonder if there was another explanation for his death.
As the year’s passed by Steve Johnson’s life changed dramatically. He and Scott had grown up in the poorer areas of Los Angeles, where they had an unstable home life. They’d both excelled academically though, and begun to build new lives though the pathway of academia.
Steve Johnson build a tech company that turned him into a multi-millionaire, giving him the resources to hire researchers, journalists and lobbyists to work the case, and in turn shine a light on a wide range of homophobic crimes that had been ignored for decades.
Based on detailed records and recollections, this telling of the many investigations into Scott Johnson’s death travels down many rabbit holes filled with setbacks and dead ends. It features a cast of characters vividly brought to life from police officers to skinhead gangs, lawyers, whistleblowers, hoaxers, witnesses and crusaders. Its a journey through shades of grey that will leave you questioning who the most morally bankrupt actually are.
A Thousand Miles from Care: The Hunt for My Brother’s Killer – A Thirty Year Quest for Justice by Steve Johnson is available now in print and audiobook formats.
