1/7/2022- 12:42 p.m.
Kentucky -Jeremy Lind, 35, and his girlfriend were kidnapped from their home in Louisville, Kentucky and tortured.
Around 1am on September 27, 2020, Jeremy was lured out of his house by a man named James Branham, 37. Branham told Jeremey they were going to make some money. Jeremey and the unidentified female victim went willingly with Branham.
He drove them to a home on the 1400 block of Clara Avenue. Once they arrived, a women named Samantha Johnson forced the couple out of the car and into the house at gunpoint.
Once inside, Jeremy and his girlfriend were pistol-whipped and forced to strip naked. The assailants then forced Jeremy and his girlfriend to eat dog food.
Jeremey and his girlfriend were severely beaten. Detectives stated the attackers used their fists and a broomstick to beat the victims. During the attack, Jeremey lost consciousness and his girlfriend was forced to clean up his blood.
At some point during the night, Daniel Rosselot knocked on the door. Johnson invited him to join in, which he did. Rosselot would also take part in beating Jeremy.
Jeremey’s tongue was removed from his mouth, placed in tinfoil, which was crumpled up and forced down Jeremy’s throat. Johnson and her conspirators moved Jeremy into the shower hoping to wash the blood off him. She then ordered Rosselot and Branham to “take out the trash”, meaning Jeremy’s body.
Jeremy’s body was kept in a shed for about two days before they dumped it. Police officers responding to an unrelated call discovered the remains.
Jeremy’s body was beaten so badly, his face was unrecognizable. Detectives stated, “his mouth was shattered, eyes closed shut and unrecognizable.”; “His eyes were pretty much falling out of his skull.” The torture lasted more than 12 hours. It was determined the cause of death was asphyxiation and the manner of death was homicide.
The female victim was able to escape her captors, who were planning on trafficking her. A man, who was referred to as “CJ” was called over to help move the body, refused to do so, and helped the victim escape.
When interviewed by police, she told police that she and Jeremy had stolen items from a car a few days before the kidnapping, murder, and assault. The car had belonged to Johnson’s boyfriend. According to detectives, all the individuals involved had known each other and lived in the same neighborhood. They believe the attack was retaliation for the theft.
Johnson and Branham have been charged with: Murder; Kidnapping resulting in death; Kidnapping; 2nd degree Assault; Tampering with physical evidence; Abuse of a corpse; 2 counts of 1st degree unlawful imprisonment; and 1st degree wanton endangerment*
- A person is guilty of wanton endangerment in the first degree when, under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, he wantonly engages in conduct which creates a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person.
Rosselot has been charged with: Murder; 2 counts of 1st degree unlawful imprisonment; Abuse of a corpse; Tampering with physical evidence.
Rosselot has a pretrial conference on January 31, 2022. Johnson and Branham their pre-trial conference on February 16, 2022.
