A former Chattanooga woman wrote in her diary that she feared for her life from the man ultimately accused of killing her, according to a Knox County Criminal Court arrest warrant.
Micah Johnson, 21, of Maryville, Tenn., was arrested Wednesday night and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Carrie Daugherty, 24.
Ms. Daugherty, a 2001 Notre Dame High School graduate, was found dead early Wednesday morning near her north Knoxville home on East Columbia Street. According to the warrant, Mr. Johnson struck Ms. Daugherty with a blunt object, then returned to his residence and showered.
The Knoxville Police Department arrested Mr. Johnson on Wednesday after an officer located his vehicle and initiated a traffic stop about 11:30 p.m. Mr. Johnson fled in his vehicle, and an officer pursued him until the Henley Street Bridge, where he was taken into custody, said Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk.
Mr. Johnson is being held on $900,000 bond. He and Ms. Daugherty were not dating, Mr. DeBusk said.
“They were acquainted with each other. That’s all we’re saying at this point,” he said.
The former Notre Dame High School homecoming queen and cheerleader was remembered by family and friends as genuinely happy, the type of woman who made those around her cheerful.
A Garth Brooks fanatic, Ms. Daugherty was training to run a marathon in honor of her niece who died of cancer two years ago.
Ms. Daugherty was devoted to finding a cure for childhood cancer, said Wendy Ransom, Ms. Daugherty’s older sister. Though she could not carry a tune, Ms. Daugherty loved to sing and dance.
“Carrie was always smiling, always trying to make somebody else’s day brighter, full of laughter, laughing at herself sometimes,” Ms. Ransom, of Chattanooga, said.
Anna Dutton, a 2002 Notre Dame graduate who was introduced to Ms. Daugherty through mutual friends, said Ms. Daugherty went out of her way to befriend everyone.
“She was the most likable person I think I’ve ever come across,” Ms. Dutton said.
Ms. Daugherty’s aunt, Sally Daugherty, described her niece as bubbly and energetic during family holidays and get-togethers.
“(She was) a very, very cute dresser,” Sally Daugherty said. “She always stuck out as having fashion taste.”
A Mass of Celebration will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Jude Catholic Church. Memorial contributions may be made to Emily’s Power for a Cure, 1119 Fieldstone Drive, Hixson, TN 37343.
