What happened to Marilou Johnson? Details explored ahead of Enemy Inside the Gate on ID

The latest special episode of ID's Where Murder Lies, titled Enemy Inside the Gate, has brought forth the chilling case of Marilou Johnson, whose sudden disappearance in 2007 became one of the standout cases in Macomb County. Although an episode covering the death of Marilou Johnson previously premiered in 2022, this special edition aims to provide further insight into the case.

The synopsis for the upcoming special from Investigation Discovery reads:

"In 2007, the disappearance of Marilou Johnson, the girlfriend of millionaire Roger Blanchard, sent shockwaves through their community. Roger reported her missing, but the police faced a daunting challenge with very few leads to follow. The mysterious circumstances surrounding Marilou’s vanishing left her three children and loved ones desperate for answers."

As the case unfolded, it revealed a series of unexpected twists and turns, ultimately leading the authorities to a place they never imagined they would reach. The special aired on Sunday, February 11, 2024, at 10:00 PM EST. Here is a rundown of what happened with Marilou Johnson.

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Who was Marilou Johnson and what happened to her?

Marilou Johnson was a 50-year-old mother of three. She was originally from the Philippines. Before she met Roger Blanchard, Johnson was working full-time and providing for her three boys, Jared, Jerel, and Jason. Her husband had reportedly died from cancer a few years before.

Everything in her life changed when she met Roger Blanchard, a retired business owner, who had made quite a fortune for himself. Though he was 21 years older than Marilou, their relationship kicked off and she moved into his 10,000-square-foot mansion with all three of her children.

The family reportedly had a happy life, despite Marilou and Roger having altercations at times. Things changed for the worse on June 15, 2007, when Marilou abruptly disappeared from the mansion. Roger promptly reported her disappearance to the authorities.

Authorities immediately began the search. Roger Blanchard was an obvious suspect, but Marilou's kids testified that Marilou Johnson and Roger Blanchard shared a great relationship. Moreover, he was in no physical condition to commit a murder at the time. After removing Roger's previous children from the suspect list as well, the police started looking elsewhere.

A breakthrough came when Tonya Disano, a friend of Marilou's, called the police to inform them about a suspicious man, David Wright, a local self-employed plumber. She claimed that Marilou found Wright's behavior strange and that Wright also owed Roger some money, which he had loaned to him for a business.

The authorities followed this lead and found out that Roger also had a previous criminal record. The police began to watch him closely. After noticing some suspicious behavior from him, he was arrested for an unrelated cause. On searching, the police found a pill bottle with diamonds, which matched that from Marilou Johnson's necklace.

He was immediately arrested for the disappearance of Marilou and charged. Moreover, on June 25, 2007, authorities first found a trace of Marilou when her purse was found in the water. The following day, her body was discovered, wrapped in a blanket, and weighed down with cinder blocks.

David Wright later tried to claim that he only tried to take Marilou as a hostage to force more money out of Roger, which Roger had allegedly promised to give him if his business took off. But she died accidentally, according to Wright's statement. Prosecutors did not believe him as she was stabbed six times.

He was sentenced to prison for life without the possibility of parole.

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This episode is available for streaming on Discovery Plus.