Thug convicted of murdering woman who rejected his offer to 'get high'; he said he felt disrespected by her 'f**k off' reply



An Iowa male was convicted last week of murdering a woman who rejected his offer to "come get high" — and he said he felt disrespected by her "f**k off" response.

A Polk County jury on Wednesday convicted James Bernard Johnson, 43, of first-degree murder for shooting Nikki Loffredo, 42, last summer in Des Moines, the Polk County Attorney said.

Evidence included text messages between him and his girlfriend admitting he had 'popped' someone recently.

Johnson took the stand and said he saw Loffredo walking on Euclid Avenue early on July 27 and planned to approach her, officials said. Johnson saw her again at the intersection of East Ovid Avenue and Cambridge Street at 3:48 a.m., officials said, adding that he yelled at her from his GMC Yukon to “come get high” with him.

Johnson said Loffredo responded, “Who are you? Never mind, f**k off," the attorney's office noted.

Officials reported that "Johnson said he felt disrespected and admitted he fired a handgun four times from his Tahoe, claiming he fired at the ground to frighten her. He then sped off in the vehicle. He denied that he intended to kill her. There was no previous connection between the victim and defendant."

Loffredo died July 29 of her wounds, officials said.

Johnson was arrested Aug. 2, officials said, adding that evidence included text messages between him and his girlfriend admitting he had “popped” someone recently.

Johnson said he had consumed cocaine and marijuana the day of the shooting, officials said, adding that he has previous drug convictions and that "he stipulated to the charge of being a felon in possession of a weapon."

The trial lasted a week, officials said, adding that the jury deliberated on the afternoon of April 8 and a portion of the morning of April 9 before announcing its verdict.

Officials said Johnson faces life in prison when he's sentenced June 20.

According to the New York Post, Loffredo was a bartender and a mother, and her family said she was “very kind and compassionate and was always willing to help anyone in need.”

“She loved to spoil her nephews and take them to movies and Chuck E. Cheese,” her obituary reads, the Post said.

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Killer who began male-to-female transition in prison after decapitating man just learned fate for fatally stabbing second man



A convicted killer who began transitioning his gender identity while in prison after his grisly decapitation murder of a victim in Oklahoma has been sentenced for the stabbing death of a second man — a New York City antiques dealer.

On Thursday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. announced the prison sentence of Alex Ray Scott for the stabbing murder of 64-year-old Kenneth Savinski in January 2020. Scott was sentenced to 22 years to life in prison.

Law enforcement said the victim had been decapitated with a chainsaw-like instrument.

Scott, from Oklahoma, pleaded guilty Sept. 9 in New York State Supreme Court to one count of murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree.

“Alex Ray Scott will serve a significant prison term for the brutal and senseless murder of Kenneth Savinski — a beloved, friendly person and respected churchgoer,” Bragg said in a statement. “Mr. Savinski’s loss not only devastated his friends and family but shocked his tight-knit community. Although we cannot bring Mr. Savinski back, I hope the resolution of this case offers his loved ones a sense of justice in their ongoing grief.”

Authorities said Scott met Savinski on a dating app, and the pair were "enjoying a night out together" on Jan. 27, 2020. At around 11:30 p.m., Scott allegedly was invited back to Savinski's Upper East Side apartment.

The next day, police discovered Savinski "unresponsive, face down, and covered in blood on his living room floor at his East 83rd Street apartment," according to the New York Post.

Prosecutors said Savinski was wounded on the head and neck, suffering a broken hyoid bone — which is in the neck and under the chin — a slit throat, and large, deep cuts across his face and forehead. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities believe Scott killed Savinski with a decorative plate, kitchen knife, and “maybe a pen.”

Scott turned himself in at the NYPD's 19th Precinct stationhouse on Jan. 30, 2020, and was arrested the next day after two of Savinski’s credit cards were found in Scott's possession.

Scott reportedly told investigators he had no memory of the gruesome attack. According to the indictment, Scott later told detectives, “I think I may have killed someone last night.”

During the investigation into Savinski's bloody murder, Scott allegedly confessed to killing another person in an unrelated case.

Scott reportedly had credit cards in his possession belonging to Robin Skocdopole, who lived in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

Authorities searched Skocdopole's home, which was empty of all possessions — but there were pools of blood inside the residence, federal prosecutors stated.

Skocdopole had not been seen since August 2019.

Fox News reported Scott rented a room from Skocdopole and then told others that the landlord abruptly moved for work to Dallas.

In May 2020, Skocdopole's remains were on the edge of a creek in Broken Arrow.

Law enforcement said the victim had been decapitated with a chainsaw-like instrument.

Last May, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Oklahoma said in a press release, "The medical examiner’s report indicated two different saws were used during the dismemberment including a saw comparable to a chainsaw."

Scott was convicted of second-degree murder, and in May, was sentenced to 540 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

“Alex Scott was sentenced for the murder and dismemberment of Robin Skocdopole,” said U.S. attorney Clint Johnson. “This successful prosecution was the result of the exhaustive investigation and outstanding cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement. We will continue to work with law enforcement partners to hold violent offenders accountable.”

While in jail, Scott began a transition to a transgender individual.

Scott — a biological male who previously sported a beard — presented a feminine appearance during this week's sentencing hearing for the murder of Savinski.

The New York Post reported that Scott was also facing charges in his home state of Oklahoma for allegedly sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy.

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Inmate placed in cell with man who raped his little sister. After request for different cellmate allegedly ignored, he kills rapist — and gets 25 years.



Shane Goldsby said he couldn't believe it when he was placed in same Washington state prison cell as Robert Munger.

In 2019, the 70-year-old Munger was sentenced to a minimum of 43 years for multiple child rape charges.

And one of Munger's rape victims was Goldsby's younger sister, KHQ-TV reported.

Man sentenced to 25 years for murdering sister's rapist in prison https://t.co/oBzzCWE1qq https://t.co/197JOHWToe

— New York Post (@nypost) 1628396768.0

'I was in shock'

"I was in shock," Goldsby told the station in a 2020 interview in regard to being placed in the same cell as Munger. "I was like, 'what the f***?'... This stuff doesn't happen. You're talking the same institution, the same unit, the same pod in the same cell as this dude. That's like hitting the jackpot in the casino seven times."

More from KHQ:

Goldsby was the first to admit that he hasn't been a good person. He was arrested in 2017 for stealing a Kelso Police patrol car, taking law enforcement on a lengthy pursuit, then hit a Washington State Patrol vehicle, injuring a trooper inside. He also claimed he's been in more than 20 altercations with correctional officers during his time in prison.

Goldsby said the violent incidents resulted in him being transferred multiple times to different correctional centers, including Shelton, Walla Walla, and Clallam Bay.

Then, "out of the blue," Goldsby said, he was transferred to Airway Heights Correctional Center.

He told the station that Munger "kept... giving me details about what happened and what he did. About the photos and videos of him doing this stuff, and it was building up."

Goldsby also told KHQ he tried at least twice to inform prison staff about what was going on.

"When I showed up in that unit, I walked out of that pod, went to an office and said, 'Hey, I need a new cellie.' And the correctional officer ... was like, 'What? No. We didn't call you.' ... Then I went back to my cell. We got something in there called a button. You hit it if something's going on. So, I hit that button, too, and nobody came on that mic at all," he noted to the station. "So, in my head, I'm not in my head at this point and time. I'm completely feeling like this is what they wanted to happen."

Goldsby kills Munger

Finally in a prison common area last summer, KHQ — citing court documents — reported that Goldsby "[hit] Munger in the face and head area about 14 times, [stomped] on his head at least four times and [kicked] a couple more times before walking away and being taken into custody by Airway Heights Corrections Guards."

Munger later died.

But Goldsby said of the prison, "You put me in the same cell as this dude. I feel set up. I'm the victim," KHQ reported.

Goldsby sentenced

Last week Goldsby was sentenced to 298 months in prison for murdering Munger — just under 25 years, the station said.

KHQ said that before Goldsby was sentenced, he read from a prepared statement but was overcome with emotion, after which his court-appointed attorney finished it: "I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose a loved one in this kind of way. To his wife and his whole family I apologize. I am so sorry, and I hope you are able to heal from what I caused."

Anything else?

The state Department of Corrections has a cellmate policy that is designed to prevent situations like the one that placed Goldsby and Munger together, the station said. But KHQ added that an independent investigation found that prison screeners had no knowledge about the connection between Goldsby and Munger when they were placed in the same cell.