Ernest Lee Johnson (August 20, 1960 – October 5, 2021) was an American criminal convicted and executed for the murder of three convenience store employees in Boone County, Missouri in 1994.

[3] Johnson also suffered from substance abuse in his adult life, and in January 1994, he asked his parole officer for assistance with alcohol addiction.

[4][5] On February 12, 1994, Johnson killed three convenience store employees during an attempted robbery of a local Casey's in Columbia, Missouri: Mary Bratcher (46), Mable Scruggs (57), and Fred Jones (58).

The surgery was an incomplete success, with some tumor mass remaining, as well as scar tissue from the procedure, which led to Johnson developing epileptic seizures.

[8] It is estimated that the 2008 surgical procedure caused Johnson to lose up to 20 percent of his brain tissue; even before the surgery, however, his IQ scores ranged from 67 to 77, falling within the threshold of intellectual disability.

[17] Johnson died by lethal injection at 6:11 p.m. on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri.

[18] He read a written last statement aloud, apologizing for his actions, reiterating his love for his friends and family, and thanking those who had prayed on his behalf.