In-laws of 7-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson found dead in apparent murder-suicide
The father-in-law and mother-in-law of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson were found dead Monday in a suspected murder-suicide.
According to Muskogee, Oklahoma, police, 69-year-old Jack Janway, 68-year-old Terry Janway and 11-year-old Dalton Janway were found shot after a disturbance call to the Janways’ residence Monday evening. Dalton Janway is the Janways’ grandson and the nephew of Jimmie Johnson and his wife Chandra.
Police believe that Chandra's mother Terry was the shooter.
"According to a MPD media release, dispatch received a call at approximately 9:05 p.m. Monday from the residence at 2827 Suroya St. from a woman saying there was a disturbance and someone there with a gun — then hung up.
"The release also says that [officers] found one victim, later identified as Jack Janway, laying in the hallway inside the house. Shortly after that, they heard another gunshot from further inside the house.
"Officers pulled Janway outside and began making announcements for any other occupants to come outside.
"Once more officers arrived, a search began of the residence and they found Terry and Dalton dead inside the house."
Jimmie and Chandra were married in 2004 and have two daughters, Genevieve and Lydia. Chandra Johnson grew up in Muskogee, where her father had worked as a chiropractor since 1983.
"It was traumatizing to find out that a long-standing family who had made so many contributions to our community were involved in this type of incident," Muskogee mayor Marlon Coleman told Fox 23 in Tulsa. "It was even more bone-chilling to find out there was a child involved. Dr. Janway has worked on me. We've been acquaintances for a very, very long time since I've been in Muskogee. Just knowing that it was him and his family took a different toll on me."
Jimmie Johnson was scheduled to compete in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Chicago but has withdrawn from the event. Legacy Motor Club said the Johnson family “has asked for privacy at this time and no further statements will be made.”
Johnson, who won his final Cup Series title in 2016, is tied with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the most Cup championships of any driver in NASCAR history. He retired from full-time competition in NASCAR in 2020 before racing in IndyCar for two seasons.
After becoming a co-owner of Legacy Motor Club — the team previously operated as Richard Petty Motorsports — Johnson returned to the Cup Series on a part-time basis. He’s competed in three races so far in 2023 with a best finish of 31st at the Daytona 500. Johnson has 83 Cup Series wins in 689 starts and ranks sixth all-time behind Petty, David Pearson, former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon, Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip.
