Long, abusive history followed suspect in girlfriend’s Aurora slaying

AURORA | Court documents accusing Elmo Johnson of killing his girlfriend in Aurora last month seem to check all the boxes of a domestic abuser whose violence was only escalating.

People who knew Johnson and his slain girlfriend, Danielle Griego, told police they knew Johnson was abusive, but they didn’t intervene. Johnson also had a history of assaults, including domestic violence charges.

He had access to a gun, too, and had been arrested just a few days prior for carrying brass knuckles.

And police say he had tried to strangle Griego the night before her slaying — all those are major red flags that domestic violence experts say show the threat Johnson posed to Griego was escalating.

Amy Miller, executive director of the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said considering the details surrounding the crime and Johnson’s history, it isn’t surprising that he now stands accused of killing his
girlfriend.

“When we look at it in the context of what we know about the lethal nature of strangulation and the presence of the firearm, when you talk about a domestic violence situation, it’s not surprising,” she said.

Police say Johnson, 44, shot Griego, 24, in the early hours of Sept. 16 at their apartment in the 1400 block of Lima Street. Police later found Johnson unconscious near Griego’s body after an apparent drug overdose. He was hospitalized for several days before being charged with first-degree murder and felony menacing.

Johnson, who told police he did not kill Griego, is being held without bond in the Arapahoe County Jail.

According to an arrest affidavit filed against Johnson, Johnson’s sister told police the ex-convict regularly beat Griego and verbally abused her.

A friend also told police that Johnson was violently jealous about Griego talking to other men.

The night before Griego’s death, the friend said Johnson pointed a gun at him and chased him down a north Aurora alley because he was hanging out with Griego.

That same night, Griego told police that Johnson became enraged and choked her and hit her.

Police said they talked to Griego that night, but she told them she was scared and she didn’t want to cooperate. Because the friend who said Johnson pointed a gun at him couldn’t identify Johnson and because Griego wouldn’t cooperate, police said they weren’t sure they had enough evidence to arrest Johnson so they forwarded the investigation to a detective. By the time a detective received the case the following day, Griego was already dead.

Miller said considering Johnson’s history — he had been free on bond from a weapons and drugs arrest for just a few days at the time — and the fact that Griego said he choked her, police should have done more to track him down that night.

“We would have liked to have seen them pursue him aggressively,” she said. “This is a very dangerous person.”

Miller said it is also important that people who witness domestic violence intervene to whatever extent they safely can. In Griego’s case, the affidavit said people around the couple saw Johnson abuse her, but they didn’t do anything about it.

Even if people feel like they should mind their own business, Miller said it is crucial that they step in.

“I think we all have the responsibility to intervene when we see another person being abused,” she said. “This is our business.”

Miller said people who are being abused can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit the coalition’s website, ccadv.org, for a list of local resources.

She said the coalition also encourages domestic abusers to seek help, because the problem can be fixed. The state’s Domestic Violence Offender Management Board has a list of approved treatment providers, she said.

“It’s important for people on the other side of this coin to know that they can get help, too,” she said.