Man indicted in connection with Paige Johnson’s death, disappearance

COVINGTON, Ky. (FOX19) - The last person believed to have been with a northern Kentucky teenager before she disappeared in 2010 has been indicted, according to court documents.

Jacob Bumpass was indicted on charges of Abuse of a Corpse and Tampering with evidence on Tuesday in connection to the death and disappearance of Paige Johnson, 17, according to the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office.

Bumpass was described at the time as one of Paige’s acquaintances and was considered a suspect, according to authorities.

Johnson went missing on Sept. 23, 2010, after Bumpass claimed he dropped her off at 15th and Scott streets in Covington.

The evidence pointed elsewhere though, prosecutors say.

They think Bumpass was in Clermont County that September night.

Almost 10 years after she went missing, Johnson’s remains were found near Williamsburg Township in Clermont County, near East Fork State Park.

Bumpass’ cell phone records put him in the area of East Fork Lake State Park the morning Johnson disappeared, Kenton County Commonwealth Prosecutor Rob Sanders previously said.

His phone communicated with a tower that is a mile or two from where her body was found, according to Sanders.

Bumpass was “always the main suspect,” Sanders says, but he adds that they are not ruling anyone else out.

“Working on the original search at East Fork Lake in 2010, and following this case for 10 grueling years, I am thankful that my office was able to work in conjunction with the Covington Police Department to bring Bumpass to justice,” Sheriff Robert S. Leahy said on Tuesday. “It is my sincere hope that this helps bring a sense of closure to the family of Paige Johnson.”

Bumpass is being held without bond at the Clermont County Jail on charges of Abuse of a Corpse and Tampering with Evidence, the sheriff’s office says.

The charges Bumpass is facing “are minor,” Sanders says in comparison to the pain Johnson’s family has experienced.

Because Johnson’s cause of death has yet to be determined, no homicide charge has been filed yet, Sanders says.

The prosecutor says that does not mean more charges are out of the question though.

The hope is this arrest will give Johnson’s family some peace and allows them to begin healing, Assistant Clermont County Prosecutor Scott O’Reilly says.

Bumpass will appear in court on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

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