Cold Justice on Oxygen: Was Jannette Johnson's body ever found?

The Kankakee mother of two, Jannette Johnson, was reported missing on the evening of August 3, 1985. This came after she was last seen parking her car at the back of her house the previous evening, as per Daily Journal. The next morning, she was nowhere to be found. Her car had reportedly been moved and her purse was found inside the vehicle.

It was in November 2020, years after the case went cold, that human remains found in Pembroke Township in late 1985 were determined to belong to Janette, as per the Daily Journal. After the discovery of Johnson's remains, the Kankakee Police Department turned the case into a homicide investigation.

The Cold Justice season 7 episode 3 titled Killer at the Door will air on March 9, 2024, at 8 pm EST on Oxygen and showcase the ongoing investigation. The synopsis reads:

"Kelly and Steve join the Kankakee Police Department to help a woman who just missed seeing her mother's killer at their front door when she was 11 years old; decades later, efforts are made to recall any clues to help crack the case."

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Was Jannette Johnson ever found? Details explored

On August 2, 1985, Jannette Johnson, a 29-year-old resident of Kankakee returned home from a night out with friends at Party House Bar. As per the Daily Journal, her family saw her pulling in and parking at the rear side of her 600-block Oak Street home.

A report by Our Black Girls stated that Jannette's eldest daughter, Joretha Wills Hampton, aged 11 at the time, heard her mother's keys at the door. The next day, Jannette Johnson was reported missing and her car was parked in front of her house, with the window partially rolled down.

Jannette's daughter Joretha (Wills) Hampton spoke to the Daily Journal and recalled that the Kankakee Police Detective Logan Andersen contacted her regarding the decades-long case to inform her that the remains that were discovered in eastern Kankakee County in late 1985 belonged to Jannette Johnson.

The officers from Kankakee County collected DNA samples from family members and used modern technology to identify the human remains.

Joretha spoke about her mother and told the Daily Journal:

"I can still see her walking in that gate back there, comin' home. I have always thought that she would come home one day. And I can still see it. I would throw my arms around her and lay my head on her bosom. And I'd just cry. I wouldn't ask any questions about what happened. I'd just hug her, and then I'd take her to the hospital to make sure she was OK. And then we'd talk again."

Speaking about wanting to get to the bottom of the case, she said:

"I’m walking back from this. I am not giving up. I still want to know why she was murdered and who murdered her."

The cold case was reopened as a homicide investigation, and police officers combed the area where Jannette Johnson's remains were found with the help of her family and friends. Per a Kankakee County press release, those close to Jannette were interviewed again to gather as many leads as possible.

The new episode of Cold Justice will shed further light on the case when it airs on March 9, 2024.