Co-workers testify man threatened to kill Virginia mother and daughter before 2017 disappearance

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Nearly eight years after Keir and Chloe Johnson disappeared from Newport News, a jury began hearing testimony Friday in the trial of the man accused of their murders — and a co-worker testified that Carlos Johnson Jr. threatened to kill the mother and her baby before they vanished.

Johnson is Chloe's father and was in a relationship with Keir at the time she and Chloe disappeared in April 2017. They have never been found.

Two of Johnson's co-workers took the stand Friday. The first said that while giving him a ride to work one day, Johnson told him he would kill Keir and Chloe if Keir had the baby. The co-worker said the statement bothered him so much he never accepted a ride from Johnson again — but did not report it until he learned the two were missing.

The second co-worker testified that Johnson asked him to kill a woman and a baby. When he refused, Johnson told him he would find someone else. The co-worker also said Johnson told him he had given Keir money for an abortion.

Provided to WTKR

Four family members of Keir and Chloe also testified Friday. Keir's sister, Teir Pettway, was the first witness of the day. She told the court her sister was stressed during pregnancy because Johnson did not want the child and had told her to get an abortion.

Outside the courtroom, Pettway said the family has waited a long time for this moment.

"We're just praying it goes in our favor, because it's been a long time coming," Pettway said.

"To me, I feel like I'm supporting my sister and seeing this through," she added.

The final witness of the day was Keir's brother. The judge first heard his testimony outside the presence of the jury before ruling it admissible. He was then questioned by both sides with the jury present.

Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom. At a 2025 news conference announcing Johnson's arrest, then-Newport News Commonwealth's Attorney Howard Gwynn described the volume of evidence in the case.

"If you look to my left, you'll see a cart full of binders. Each one of those represents evidence in this particular case. There are 21 of them," Gwynn said.

Gwynn was in the courtroom Friday but declined to comment.

The trial is scheduled to resume Monday.