Tia Hernlen: The 5-Year-Old Who Found Her Parents Murdered
In the early hours of the 28th March 2005, 5-year-old Tia Herneln called 911, saying that she had just found both her parents lying on the floor covered in blood.
Donna, the dispatcher spoke to little Tia and tried to keep her calm and focused, whilst she sent out for someone to go to the house.
When the police finally arrived, to their utmost horror, they found 5-year-old Tia still on the phone with Donna, and her mother Julie dead in the bedroom, lying next to her husband Aeneas, Tia’s father, who was clinging to life.
Who had committed this horrible act? And why had they done it? Was this a robbery gone wrong? Or was this a brutal act of revenge?
The Hernlens
Julie Morgan met lifeguard Aeneas Hernlen on Daytona Beach and they quickly fell in love.
They were both fun-loving and shared a passion for surfing, going out to surf whenever possible.
Seeking new experiences, they moved to the Virgin Islands where Aeneas had family, and here they married.
They later moved back to Florida near New Smyrna Beach where they worked hard to get their little bright yellow house with lime green trim and a pink door.
In the year 2000, Julie and Aeneas had their daughter Tia Skye Hernlen.
It was said that Tia was the centre of her parent's world, and they loved to include her in their activities, always choosing movies that she could watch when they went to the cinema.
Together, they created a nurturing environment for their daughter and the time they all shared was a testament to their close-knit family bond.
In 2005, when Tia was 5, Aeneas who was now 29, had just begun a promising new job. Julie, who was 31, was poised to graduate with honours in May from Daytona Beach Community College as a paralegal.
It was said that she studied often, and brought little Tia to the library regularly.
DBCC professors described her as a vibrant student who was always willing to help classmates.
Her close friend Michelle Reddick said that Julie Morgan-Hernlen wanted to become a paralegal to give people the help they deserve when coming into a law office. She said:
“She had very serious thoughts on a lot of different stuff and she wanted to bring that into the law office.” — Michelle Reddick
Sadly, however, Julie would never get to graduate, as something terrible would happen 2 months earlier, in March of that year.
The 911 Call
In the early hours of the 28th March 2005, following the instructions her mother Julie had once told her, little 5-year-old Tia pushed three numbers into a black and silver portable phone.
Tia had just phoned 911, and dispatcher Donna Choufani answered the call.
In a heart-wrenching call, brave Tia told Donna how she had just found her parents lying in their room and covered in blood.
Moved by Tia’s bravery, Donna tried to gather more information from Tia, promising and reassuring her that she would be okay.
Donna was completely shocked by how composed and clever Tia was for 5 years old, saying that her detailed description of the situation was remarkable for her age saying:
“You don’t get adults to talk like this little girl does. She knew exactly what to do.” — Donna Choufani
Donna said that at that moment, she wanted to keep Tia talking, and to soothe her, saying:
“Now I'm thinking, this poor baby woke up with a nightmare. She needs her Mommy. I wanted to pull her away from what she saw. I wanted to put her away from what she saw. To take her away for even a second. She’s going to see this for the rest of her life. It was her.” — Donna Choufani
Donna said she drew a fairy-tale picture in her mind of the tiny voice on the other end of the line.
“I just saw this little girl sitting on the floor next to a table with yellow ringlet hair, talking to me and holding her little doggy.” — Donna Choufani
Worried the killer might still be in the house, Donna asked Tia whether anyone else was in the house that night, and if she was safe and had the doors locked. She said
“I’m thinking, I can’t let anything happen to this baby. I have to get someone to her now because I can't reach through the phone and pick her up.” — Donna Choufani
Reassured that Tia was safe Donna then asked Tia to describe her parent's cars which she did so incredibly well.
Finally, police arrived at the house and little Tia was able to hang up.
Volusia County Deputy Brian Williams arrived at the Hernlen's house and found little Tia open the front door and told her she could now end the conversation.
Deputy Brian Williams then scooped up Tia and put her safely into a police car, where sat quietly, waiting and never flitching for at least an hour, whilst deputies combed the crime scene. He said:
“I felt so bad for her; she didn't cry. I wanted to cry for her.” — Deputy Brian Williams
Devastated, Julie was found dead in her bedroom, and Tia’s father, Aeneas Hernlen, was rushed to Daytona Beach Hospital but succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Who had brutally murdered Julie and Aeneas, and left this poor sweet brave girl scared and alone?
The Murderer & Motive
Police quickly found out who had murdered Julie and Aeneas, as it turned out Julie had filed a restraining order against a 33-year-old man called David Edward Johnson 2 months prior, But the judge assigned the case denied the request saying “no violence was alleged and it was hard to prove stalking with the allegations.”
David Johnson had been harassing the Hernlen family for some time as believed the couple were responsible for his arrest in November 2004 on charges of growing marijuana and possession of steroids.
This was not true however and officials said the couple were not involved in his arrest.
Julie knew that David Edward Johnson posed a threat to their safety and she had expressed concerns to some people that Johnson was ruining her life.
She kept meticulous records since December of every time Johnson drove by the house, called or made a threat.
She jotted down dates, times and descriptions and then filed for a restraining order, which a judge denied.
After the order was denied, Julie called her friend Reddick Crying.
“Friday afternoon, she knew this was going to happen. She told me . . . ‘If I’m not here next week, this is the reason why and this is who killed me.’ The thing that hurts me is that the police did nothing, basically.” — Reddick
David Johnson was charged with a misdemeanour count of stalking earlier this year, but he was never arrested.
With David Edward Johnson as their prime suspect, police went to arrest him. But it was too late, David Johnson had returned to his home following the murders and had taken his own life.
When they searched his house, they found newspaper accounts of his November arrest on drug charges tacked to his refrigerator next to documents detailing his upcoming trial.
“It’s almost like it was obsessing him. What can you do? It’s a tough situation.” — The Sheriff
The Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of the tragic incident, Tia Hernlen went to live with her grandparents in Central Florida.
This transition provided her with a stable and loving environment during a time of unimaginable grief and confusion.
A trust fund was later established in her name at Gulf States Credit Union as they recognised the financial challenges that Tia might face in the future.
This fund aimed to secure her financial future and ensure she had the resources necessary for her upbringing and education.
The community rallied around Tia, expressing their support and sympathy. Their collective efforts aimed to ensure that Tia received the care and support she needed during this difficult time.
The tragic incident sparked a wave of public outrage, and the community’s support for Tia was a silver lining amid the tragedy.
Both Tia and Donna the dispatcher were praised for their extraordinary composure during the 911 call.
Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson said:
“Her composure is extraordinary given what she had just seen. She was an amazing little girl. The information she gave us and the manner she gave it to us, we wish we could get that out of adults.” — Sheriff Ben Johnson
Donna herself said that this 911 call was one she would never forget and she hoped that one day she would get to meet Tia and give her a big hug.
I can't confirm or deny whether she ever met her as I could not this information anywhere, but I hope that they did meet. Donna was so professional and caring on the call and I want to personally say how incredible I thought she was whilst listening to the call.
Following the murders, many family members were outraged that the police and the court system did not do more to protect the young family.
Julie had sought help from authorities and even predicted Johnson might kill the couple.
She did exactly what Volusia County sheriff’s investigators and experts around the country recommend. But all of her efforts failed to protect her family from a man who officials say was bent on revenge.
In an e-mail message sent to the Orlando Sentinel, Julie’s father and several other relatives said Volusia County authorities didn’t do all they should have to protect the woman. The family said:
“One of her last conversations with police was ‘What has to happen, he has to kill me before you do anything.’” — Julie’s Family
Sheriff Ben Johnson said the case was tragic, but he defended his investigators’ actions, saying they warned David Johnson (no relation to the sheriff) to keep his distance from Morgan-Hernlen and her family.
“It’s a bad situation and something we sure don’t like to see happen, but when you take someone, just this side of possessed, that’s someone that’s awfully hard to stop.” — Sheriff Ben Johnson
The Circuit Judge Richard Graham said he was “very upset” when he was informed about the slayings. The judge recalled the request for the injunction arriving by fax with very little information.
“Had I had more information, I think I would have granted it. Looking back on it, I would have liked to have done it differently, but you review each case on a case-by-case basis.” — Circuit Judge Richard Graham
But the sheriff explained that the injunction may not have prevented the attack.
“I don’t really believe it would have in a case like this. An injunction is fine for someone who is willing to accept the rules. This individual here was set on taking action,” he said. “The only way you could have prevented it would be to put him in jail and keep him in jail. There was nothing there to do that. When someone is bound and determined they are going to do a criminal act, it is hard to stop it.” — Sheriff Ben Johnson
Tia and her family later sued Johnson’s estate in a wrongful death claim, for emotional distress, mental anguish and the loss of her parents.
The suit states: “After intentionally killing Aeneas Hernlen and Julie Morgan-Hernlen, Johnson left his victims for their child, Tia Hernlen, to discover. Johnson was aware that Tia Hernlen would likely be the first to enter the scene and to make the horrific discovery.”
As of 2024, Tia Hernlen would be around 24 years old. I hope that wherever she is today, she has managed to live a somewhat normal life and I wish her all the best and success in life.
Despite the unimaginable tragedy she faced at a tender age, Tia Hernlen demonstrated remarkable resilience and strength.
Her ability to navigate through life after such a traumatic incident is a testament to her courage and determination.
As always my heart goes out to anyone impacted by this horrible crime, and rest in peace, Julie and Aeneas Hernlen.
If you would like to see this article in a visual form, feel free to watch it in my video below:
