Illinois Man Charged in Cold Case Homicide from 1996

A Roseville man has been indicted and charged in a cold case homicide that occurred in McMinn County, Tennessee more than 25 years ago, following an ongoing investigation and the re-testing of evidence.
At the request of the 10th Judicial District Attorney General, in November 1996, TBI special agents joined deputies with the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office in investigating the discovery of a female body, off the ramp of Interstate 75. An autopsy identified the victim as 50-year-old Barbara Danley Johnson, and it was determined she died as the result of a homicide. In August 2021, agents re-submitted evidence from the case to the TBI crime lab in Nashville for re-examination. Based upon investigative efforts and the testing and results of the evidence, an arrest was made.
On January 18th, the McMinn County Grand Jury returned an indictment, charging 53-year-old Rodney E. Jackson of Roseville, Illinois, with one count of First Degree Murder. Jackson was arrested by the Illinois State Police, and extradited back to Tennessee, where he has been booked into the McMinn County Jail.