Why Was Suspect in Hockley Murder Free?

Johnnie Lee Wiggins, the man accused of was not supposed to be in Washington state on Christmas Eve.

Court documents and statements from law enforcement agencies help to illuminate the chain of events that led to Wiggins’ presence outside Hockley’s home at the time of the crime. They also tell the story of a man with "an extensive criminal history that includes a number of convictions for assaults—including assaults against women," according to the charges filed on Dec. 29.

Wiggins was released from prison in Georgia in January 2008. He had been convicted of aggravated assault and was imprisoned after violating the terms of his probation, according to court documents. Upon his 2008 release, he requested and was allowed to complete his probation in Washington state.

In May of this year, Wiggins, a semi-pro body builder, was arrested in Washington after reportedly assaulting his probation officer. At the time, according to court documents, a “large quantity” of illegal steroids was found in his home. He was arrested, and later released and ordered to return to Georgia and report to a probation officer there.

In August, Wiggins “voluntarily reported to a Probation Office in the Cobb Judicial Circuit (in Georgia) after being supervised in Washington for approximately 3 years,” according to a statement from the Georgia Department of Corrections. But sometime later, he returned to Washington.

“As an unsupervised probationer, Wiggins is required to notify his probation officer when he leaves the state or changes his address,” according to the statement. “Wiggins failed to inform his probation officer of his move to Washington, thus did not comply with the terms of his probation. Due to his failure to comply, the Department has obtained a warrant for Wiggins and is taking the proper steps to extradite Wiggins back to the state.”

The Georgia statement continues: “Wiggins will remain in Washington until the murder charges are adjudicated. The Probation violation in Georgia is secondary to the murder charges in Washington. The Department has a warrant in place on Wiggins pending the legal outcome of his case in Washington.”

KOMO News obtained what it says is an Aug. 30 memorandum from the Georgia State Department of Pardons and Paroles to the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision. The memorandum discusses whether Wiggins should have been arrested in Georgia for a “significant violation” of his probation agreement based on the May arrest in Seattle. The memorandum defends Georgia’s handling of the case but concedes that “both states could have handled this case differently,” citing the fact that no charges were filed in Washington and “some confusion” over a change in rules governing these types of interstate transfers.

According to court documents, Wiggins has one conviction in Washington state in 1999, for possession of stolen property in the second degree. He has a series of other convictions dating back to 1987 in North Carolina and Georgia, primarily for assault.