Overview

At 3:30 a.m. on April 11, 1933, neighbors and firefighters arrived at the farmhouse of Albin and Alvira Johnson to find a smoldering heap where a seemingly happy home once stood. Beneath the ruins, investigators found the bodies of Alvira and her seven children, but Albin's remains were nowhere to be seen. The authorities determined that Alvira and the children were dead before the fire, and fingers immediately pointed to Albin. Hundreds of searchers, including the illustrious Pinkerton Agency, combed the area and even crossed into Canada in pursuit of Johnson, who was indicted in absentia for murder. But he was never found, dead or alive. What happened to the Johnson family and what part, if any, Albin played in the tragedy remain a mystery. Twin Cities journalist Brian Johnson tells the story that has beguiled the community for generations.

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9781467142335

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Reviews

In the '80s and '90s, Brian started researching and interviewing family and friends - people who knew Alvira, Albin, and the children. His new book about what he learned - Murder in Chisago County - is an attempt to get closer to the heart of the mystery. City Pages Johnson said the story has tugged at the emotions of Chisago County residents and those across the state for nearly nine decades. ... He described the project as an investigative journey to seek the truth that turned into an obsession. Pine City Pioneer In his new book, he blends journalistic balance with his personal connections to the case. He gives voice to Albin's defenders, who insist he either died in the fire or took his own life. But the author also injects his role as a relative of the victims, recalling childhood visits to the graves of the family. ... In rich detail, he lays out clue after clue -- explaining how Albin's father had just evicted the family from the house. He unearthed newspaper accounts in which one of the first neighbors on the fire scene at 3:30 a.m. noticed auto tracks in the snow leading from the house to the highway. Star Tribune As Johnson grew older, he discovered that there was more to the story than just a simple tragedy. ... This story took hold of Brian, a professional journalist, and he felt that it was a story that needed to be told if for no other reason than to honor Alvira and the children. The Post Review

Johnson said the story has tugged at the emotions of Chisago County residents and those across the state for nearly nine decades. ... He described the project as an investigative journey to seek the truth that turned into an obsession. Pine City Pioneer In the '80s and '90s, Brian started researching and interviewing family and friends - people who knew Alvira, Albin, and the children. His new book about what he learned - Murder in Chisago County - is an attempt to get closer to the heart of the mystery. City Pages In his new book, he blends journalistic balance with his personal connections to the case. He gives voice to Albin's defenders, who insist he either died in the fire or took his own life. But the author also injects his role as a relative of the victims, recalling childhood visits to the graves of the family. ... In rich detail, he lays out clue after clue -- explaining how Albin's father had just evicted the family from the house. He unearthed newspaper accounts in which one of the first neighbors on the fire scene at 3:30 a.m. noticed auto tracks in the snow leading from the house to the highway. Star Tribune As Johnson grew older, he discovered that there was more to the story than just a simple tragedy. ... This story took hold of Brian, a professional journalist, and he felt that it was a story that needed to be told if for no other reason than to honor Alvira and the children. The Post Review

Author Information

Brian Johnson, a Twin Cities journalist, has more than twenty-five years of experience as a reporter and editor. A longtime staff writer for a Minneapolis-based business publication, Johnson has won a number of awards from the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1989 with a major in journalism and a minor in Swedish. Johnson is a grand-nephew of Alvira Lundeen Johnson, who died with her seven children on April 11, 1933, in Harris, Minnesota. Johnson lives in Richfield, Minnesota, with his wife, Stephanie, and their four children.

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