Dateline: The Disappearance Of Sandi Johnson - 5 harrowing details about the 1996 disappearance and murder, explored

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered re-aired the chilling case of Sandi Johnson's disappearance on April 29, 2024.

Sandi was a resident of Kirkland, Washington, living with her two children, when she suddenly disappeared in 1996. Her dead remains were not found until 2004, which re-opened her case.

The official synopsis of the episode reads as follows:

"Sandi Johnson, who always put her kids first, vanishes without a word; police discover dark secrets in Sandi's marriage and several men in her life."

Here are five chilling details from Sandi Johnson's disappearance as told on Dateline.

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Dateline: 5 harrowing details about Sandi Johnson's eventual murder

1) Sandi Johnson disappeared in 1996

Sandi was a mother of two and had separated from her husband, Greg. In April 1996, she had left her two kids for babysitting with a friend and was supposed to have lunch with friends. It was revealed that she would spend the rest of the day planning her son's two birthday parties for the following day.

But Sandi never made it to lunch, nor did she turn up for her son's birthday party, which worried her ex-husband and friends as it was unlike her. They filed a missing person report with the police.

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2) Dateline: The police suspected Sandi's colleague of her disappearance

Four days later, the police found Sandi's station wagon in the parking lot of a grocery store near Tukwila. The police later found that it was very close to Sandi's colleague, Clifford E. Reed's house.

During the investigation, the police discovered that Clifford was obsessed with Sandi and had approached her many times. According to a statement by an investigator on Sandi's case:

''In reality, Sandi did not return his affections, denied any romantic relationship, and told friends Reed needed to leave her alone.”

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3) Dateline: Sandi's remains were found almost a decade after her disappearance

The case was closed because no body or murder weapon was discovered, and Sandi's family and friends could not do anything about it.

However, on August 25, 2004, somebody found Sandi's remains near Highway 410, south of Greenwater in Pierce County, in 2004. While Sandi's family finally got her remains, they were not enough to determine the cause of her death.

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4) Dateline: Clifford Reed was arrested for the murder of Sandi

After Sandi's body was found, the police arrested the prime suspect in her killing, who was Clifford Reed. In 2012, he had already left Kirkland, and the police arrested him from his home in Victor, Montana.

In his trial, he refuted the allegations of Sandi's murder and pleaded not guilty in court initially:

''Sandi was a very good friend to me...She was one of the nicest people I’ve ever known and I certainly did not kill Sandi. None of this nightmare should have ever happened. She should have lived a long life, experienced all that life has to offer and watch her kids grow up, marry, have children and enjoy being a grandmother...''

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5) Dateline: Clifford later took the manslaughter plea

While Sandi's remains have worn out over time, her dental records and autopsy could not confirm how the murder happened, which made it difficult for prosecutors to prove Clifford guilty.

While he pleaded not guilty initially, the Prosecution offered him a manslaughter plea, which he took, and he was sentenced to life in prison for only 41 months.

While Sandi's family was content that they could have a proper ceremony for her, they were outraged by the short sentence for Clifford.

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