(WNY News Now) – HARRISBURG — A Bucks County man has been found guilty but mentally ill of third-degree murder for the 2021 beating death of 41-year-old Helena Johnson at a Luzerne County motel, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Wednesday.
Luzerne County Judge Michael T. Vough delivered the verdict against 40-year-old Michael Sarmiento after a two-day bench trial. While a guilty but mentally ill verdict carries the same legal weight as a third-degree murder conviction, it allows Sarmiento to receive mental health treatment while incarcerated.
Johnson, a Massachusetts resident, was found dead on June 6, 2021, at the Red Carpet Inn on North Church Street in Hazle Township. Investigators determined she had been staying at the motel with Sarmiento and died from blunt force trauma sustained in a violent assault.
During the trial, testimony revealed that Sarmiento called 911 on June 5, 2021, claiming he had discovered Johnson deceased in the motel’s bathtub. However, surveillance footage showed the two entering their room together at 6:59 a.m. on June 4. Sarmiento was seen leaving alone two hours later, and no one else entered or exited the room until his return nearly 15 hours later, when he made the emergency call.
A forensic pathologist testified that Johnson had been struck at least 10 times and showed signs of strangulation.
“This defendant callously took the life of Ms. Johnson, then attempted to avoid accountability,” Attorney General Sunday said. “The investigators and prosecutors in this case were determined to see that justice was done for Helena Johnson. We hope this verdict provides a small amount of peace for those who love her and miss her every day.”
Sarmiento is scheduled for sentencing on May 1. The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Zarallo.
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