HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that a New York man will serve 20 to 40 years in prison for the 2021 killing of 41-year-old Helena Johnson — the maximum sentence for the third-degree murder charge returned by a judge in February.
A Luzerne County Judge sentenced 40-year-old Joseph Sarmiento on Thursday, two months after finding Sarmiento guilty but mentally ill of third-degree murder.
Johnson, of Massachusetts, was found dead on June 6, 2021, in a Hazle Township motel room, where investigators determined she had been staying with Sarmiento. According to testimony, Johnson died of blunt force trauma sustained in a beating.
“This defendant’s attempts to avoid accountability for the brutal killing of Miss Johnson ended today with this decades-long prison sentence,” Attorney General Sunday said. “We hope this verdict and sentence provide a sense of solace for the people who loved her and miss her every day.”
Among the victim impact statements read in court Thursday was a letter from Helena’s sister, Karen. It reads in part: “I remember her laugh, smile and making jokes. I’ll never get back the times we went on vacation, dinner, concerts and how much fun we had.”
Pennsylvania State Police charged Sarmiento after Johnson was found dead at Red Carpet Inn on North Church Street.
According to testimony, Sarmiento called 911 in the early morning hours of June 5, 2021, stating that he discovered Johnson dead in the bathtub. Surveillance video revealed that Sarmiento and the victim entered the room together at 6:59 a.m. on June 4, 2021 — and Sarmiento left by himself approximately two hours later. No one else entered or exited the room until Sarmiento returned approximately 15 hours later and placed the 911 call.
A forensic pathologist testified that Johnson was struck a minimum of 10 times and that there was evidence of strangulation.
The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Zarallo.
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