The death of Jimmie Johnson’s mother-in-law, father-in-law, and nephew on June 26 is being investigated as a possible murder-suicide, causing sad loss to the family.
Authorities reportedly discovered the bodies of Chandra Janway, Johnson’s wife of almost 20 years, and her parents in their Oklahoma home, along with their 11-year-old nephew. All three of them had been shot.
The Muskogee Police confirmed to the publication that a female at the Oklahoma residence had called 911 beforehand to report “someone with a gun.” The mother-in-law Terry Janway, according to police, is still the key suspect in the case even though nothing has been confirmed and no one has been put on trial.
In a statement on June 27, Johnson’s crew said that the racer was canceling his scheduled participation in the next Chicago Street Race in the wake of the devastating news. His team added, “The Johnson family has requested privacy at this time, and no further statements will be made.”
The Janway family’s Oklahoma community reels from tragedy.
Since Chandra Janway, an actress and the wife of racer Jimmie Johnson, was born and raised in Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Oklahoma, the Janway family has long called Oklahoma home.
Unfortunately, this family tragedy also occurred in the Sooner State. On June 27, Mayor Marlon Coleman of Muskogee, Oklahoma, where Chandra’s parents resided, spoke with Fox23 about the startling incident and how the family’s now-deceased patriarch Jack Janway was a well-known chiropractor in the area.
“Learning that a long-established family who had given so much to our community had been implicated in this kind of tragedy was distressing. Knowing there was a child involved made it even more terrifying,” the mayor said.
“I met Dr. Janway. Since I’ve been in Muskogee, Dr. Janway has treated me, and we’ve known each other for a very long time. Being aware that it was him and his family affected me differently.”
In the wake of this unfortunate incident, the NASCAR organization conveyed its sympathies to the Johnson and Janway families. Rick Hendrick, the owner of the NASCAR team, also issued a statement in which he claimed to have “been in contact with Jimmie” and “offered… the full resources of [his] organization.”
