Virginia man arrested in connection to 2017 disappearance of mom and her infant

Police arrested a Virginia man in connection to the disappearance — and presumed slayings — of a young mother and their infant daughter nearly eight years ago, authorities said Tuesday.

The bodies of Keir Johnson, then 34, and her 8-month-old daughter Chloe have never been found after they were last seen on April 30, 2017, in Hampton.

Carlos A Johnson, Jr., a 46-year-old Newport News resident and Chloe’s father, was picked up during a traffic stop on Friday and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, police said.

“Some cases, the evidence is there and officers right around the corner. It’s all captured on video. It’s all a nice package,” Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said during a community meeting on Tuesday.

“Some cases take much longer, maybe even a decade. Those cases stay open until we close.”

Johnson’s car was found on May 14, 2017, in Newport News, two weeks after she and her daughter were reported missing.

Rewards totaling $35,000 have been offered for any information that could lead to the recovery of the mother and daughter’s remains.

“So I know we can’t bring anyone back,” Drew said. “I know we can’t make up for a lost time, and hopefully we can have a small piece closure to their family.”

It wasn’t immediately clear on Wednesday if Johnson had hired or been assigned a criminal defense lawyer to speak on his behalf.