Months later, man’s ‘natural death’ is homicide

Police reviewed case after family persisted.

doug page Joshua Christopher Johnson, in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1 million bond in connection with the April 2 death of Alfred Bannan.

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By Doug Page, Staff Writer Updated 11:27 PM Thursday, July 21, 2011

DAYTON — Pressure from the victim’s family and renewed interest from police turned what was first thought to be the natural death of a retired University of Dayton professor into a suspected homicide.

Joshua Christopher Johnson, 28, has been in the Montgomery County Jail since early May. He’s being held on a $1 million bond in the March 28 death of 75-year-old Alfred Bannan.

Dayton police were called to Bannan’s apartment at 953 Wilmington Ave. on April 2. There they found Bannan’s body.

Sgt. Dan Mauch, head of the homicide unit, said Wednesday given Bannan’s age, his history of heart problems, the medications he was taking and the general condition of the apartment, officers and medics concluded there was no foul play.

The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office report found no visible evidence of trauma.

That same day, officers discovered Bannan’s car was missing and his mail had been disturbed. “The theory was someone knew he was dead and used the opportunity to steal what they could,” Mauch said.

Homicide detectives did not see the officers’ initial report on Bannan’s death until several days later. Mauch said Bannan’s out-of-state family contacted him, saying they believed more was involved. Fraud detectives were called in on the theory that the title to the car would have been fraudulently transferred to another.

Acting on tips, the fraud detectives asked West Carrollton police to be on the lookout for the car. Several days later, the car was spotted in an apartment parking lot in West Carrollton. Detectives were called to the scene.

Mauch said Johnson was one of the bystanders. When he saw the detectives get out of their car, he turned to another bystander and said, “It’s been good to know you. I’m going to jail.” Struck by the comment, the second bystander contacted an officer and relayed the information. West Carrollton officers pulled Johnson from the crowd and took him to the police station, Mauch said.

“They started asking him about a stolen credit card and the car, when he started telling them about what happened inside the apartment,” Mauch said. “They halted the interview and called us.”

Johnson told Dayton homicide detectives he had choked Bannan, Mauch said. “He thought that Bannan had just passed out,” Mauch said.

Police began investigating Bannan’s death as a homicide.

The coroner’s office rechecked its findings, but did not uncover any new information.

Coroner’s office officials were out of town Thursday and could not comment on their review of Bannan’s death.

“Given the medication he was taking, it is entirely possible not to have any outward signs of trauma,” Mauch said.

Prosecutors have charged Johnson in the theft and use of Bannan’s credit card. Mauch said detectives are awaiting what charges prosecutors will approve in Bannan’s death.

“He worked for everything he got,” recalled his older brother, William, in a telephone interview from Albany, N.Y. “He got scholarships to do all his schooling.”

At UD, Alfred Brannan held several positions in the history department and was president of the UD’s chapter of the of American Association of University Professors. He joined the university in 1962 and retired in 1996. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Manhattan College and his master’s degree from Notre Dame.

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