Lewiston cop-turned-author to unveil crime tale in Colfax

He was haunted for years by the case which never went to court.

But finally, for Monty Spears, former Lewiston police officer, the 1950s case of Jean Johnson’s murder has finally been put to rest.

Spears has just published From the Hands of Vernon, a first-person memoir of his 1970s investigation of Vernon Choate, the man suspected of raping Johnson and strangling her to death in Lewiston, 1956. Choate, who was never formally charged in the Johnson case, met an untimely death in 1986.

Spears will be present for a book-signing at Main Street Books in Colfax, Dec. 5, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Spears stumbled upon the Johnson case 20 years after her death when he was a member of the Lewiston Police Department. A drunken informant told him she knew who killed Jean Johnson.

Spears found the paperwork for the alleged murder in a spider-web ridden former jail cell in the basement of the police station.

In a move that would eventually consume most of his time over the next year, he reopened the case. The investigation impacted his health and, ultimately, his marriage.

After following Choate, who lived in Kendrick, Spears talked to several other officers into pursuing the case off the clock.

They asked two women in the police department, one an officer, one an intern, to go take the role as potential “lovers” of Choate. Over the next few months, the officers taped the conversations between Choate and the women, looking for any clues about Johnson’s death.

They concluded through their observations that Choate was a pathological stalker and given to violence if he suspected a woman was cheating on him, the book alleges.

“It was like playing a chess game. I thought I knew what moves he was going to make so I prepared my own moves,” Spears said.

The investigation moved on to Choate’s former wives. The book reports all four ex-wives told Spears and other investigators that Choate was controlling, violent and abusive.

Spears finally collected what he considered enough evidence and arrested Choate. The book alleges he eventually obtained a confession.

Choate was released one day after his arrest, and formal charges were never filed. Spears in his book contends the prosecutor was unwilling to file charges on the 20-year-old case. He noted the prosecutor at the time was running for office.

“Vernon walked free for eight years, eight months, and 11 days,” Spears said. This was the length of time between the one day in jail and his death. Readers will have to read the book to find out the final events of Choate’s life.

Spears also said one of the undercover agents used to bait Choate, Brenda, continued to be stalked by him for years.

As the book follows the investigation step-by-step, it becomes clear the case took a toll on Spears. He spent many evenings away from home with other police officers, drinking and considering the case. His wife, Sandra, became irritated with all the time he spent away from home.

In an interview with the Gazette Nov. 27, Spears said the case haunted him for years. His time spent away from home was “the beginning of the end” for his marriage, he said, and it ended in 1991.

“It takes its toll on you,” he said, referring to police work.

Spears used to work for the Bellevue Police Department and has investigated many murders and suicides, but this case haunted him because it was unresolved.

“It was personal because I put so much into it. It was hard on me; it was hard on the office that worked with me,” Spears said.

Spears said he saw the pain of Jean Johnson’s family and how they had never seen Choate taken to court.

“I saw the pain in the family when I talked with them and the friends.

Jean needed to speak out and say her part. And through us, she was able to,” he said.

And there was one more tie connecting Spears to Choate. Spear’s son was briefly married to Choate’s granddaughter.

Spears left the Lewiston Police Department and went on to operate a private investigation company, Gemstate, in Lewiston. He ran the agency for 23 years and was married in 2000 to Brenda, the intern who had originally worked on the Johnson case with him.

They now live in Harpster, Idaho, where they operate the Harpster store and RV park.