Trina Mae Johnson, 49, Indicted in Red Lake Child Torture Case

BEMIDJI, Minn. — Trina Mae Johnson, 49, of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, has been indicted on federal charges of child torture, neglect, and assault after overseeing a months-long campaign of abuse against a foster child under her legal custody. The indictment, unsealed Friday, paints a harrowing picture of starvation, physical torment, and psychological devastation inflicted between January 1, 2021, and April 29, 2022, on the Red Lake Indian Reservation.

Johnson allegedly directed and participated in systematic torture of the minor, including withholding food until the child neared starvation, forcing the child to stand for hours in painful positions, and subjecting them to repeated physical assaults. She was aided and abetted by Bertram Calvin Lussier, Jr., 42; and her three sisters — Bobbi Jo Johnson (a/k/a Bobbi Jo Kingbird), 44; Ellie Mae Johnson, 47; and Patricia Ann Johnson, 39 — all of whom regularly supervised the child and participated in the abuse.

Trina Johnson faces one count of child torture, one count of child neglect—deprivation of food and health care, one count of child endangerment, and one count of assault on a minor with a dangerous weapon. Bobbi Jo Johnson, Ellie Mae Johnson, Patricia Ann Johnson, and Lussier each face one count of child neglect—deprivation of food and health care, and one count of child endangerment.

Trina Johnson, Bobbi Jo Johnson, Patricia Ann Johnson, and Lussier made their initial appearances in U.S. District Court on Friday, January 27, before Magistrate Judge Jon T. Huseby. Ellie Mae Johnson is scheduled to appear at a later date. All five remain presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, with critical support from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, the Bemidji Police Department, and the Blackduck Police Department. Federal authorities moved swiftly after evidence of prolonged abuse was uncovered during a welfare check that revealed the child’s emaciated condition and signs of chronic trauma.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth S. Shnider and Angela M. Munoz are prosecuting the case. The indictment marks one of the most severe child abuse prosecutions in recent years on tribal land in northern Minnesota, underscoring ongoing concerns about child welfare oversight within isolated communities. If convicted, Trina Johnson could face life in prison.