Findlay Woman Sentenced For Her Role In Overdose Death

3/29/19 – 5:00 A.M.

Another Findlay resident is heading to jail for her role in the overdose death of Danielle Rice last year. 39-year-old Dawn Johns will serve 60 days in jail following convictions of abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. She’ll serve the term in 15-day increments. Judge Johnathan Starn also sentenced Johns to five years of community control, with a possibility of more jail time if she violates the sentence.

Johns and her sister, 40-year-old Desirae Bright, disposed of Rice’s body along Cass Township Road 215 in February of 2018. Rice died of a drug overdose.

Both Johns and Bright will testify against 44-year-old Anthony Whitaker of Toledo. Investigators say Whitaker supplied the drugs that killed Rice. He faces counts of involuntary manslaughter, corrupting another with drugs, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse.

MORE: History of the case