The man accused of the 2022 killing of 8-year-old Sophia Mason has walked free after pleading guilty to a lesser charge in Merced Superior Court on Monday.

Dhante Jackson, 37, had been charged with murder and child abuse in Sophia’s death. Also charged is the child’s mother, Samantha Johnson, 33.

The case made national headlines after the child’s body was found inside a north Merced residence on Barclay Way in March 2022. Jackson subsequently was on the run for months after a warrant was issued for his arrest, until he was tracked down months later in Alameda County.

Prosecutors on Monday dropped the murder and child abuse charges Jackson was facing, and he pleaded guilty to a charge of accessory to murder. He was sentenced to three years in prison, and later Monday walked away from Merced County Jail with credit for time served.

Judge Steven Slocum also struck down a prior strike Jackson had for a 2009 robbery conviction.

Merced County District Attorney Nicole Silveira told The Merced FOCUS she could not elaborate about the circumstances of the case, as her office is still pursuing murder and child abuse charges against the victim’s mother, Johnson.

“That case is still pending and I want to make sure we preserve a fair trial on that part of the case,” Silveira said. “In general, we have to look at what the evidence supports and what we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.”

Todd Melnick, Jackson’s attorney, told ABC 30 his client pleaded guilty to the accessory charge for “not calling the police and (not) turning (Samantha Johnson) in.” Melnick also said Jackson was “afraid he would be arrested for a murder he didn’t commit.”

Child’s Death Shocked Merced Community

Sophia’s death horrified people throughout the community of Merced County and the state.

Merced investigators said the child had been abused for a long period of time. The Merced Sun-Star reported by the time police found her severely malnourished body, she had been dead for about a month.

Merced police had gone to the Barclay Way home in March 2022 after receiving a request of assistance from Hayward police, who had been investigating Sophia’s disappearance. Officers then made the discovery, finding Sophia’s body in a bathtub, according to the California Attorney General’s Office.

Sophia’s family members have said they pleaded with social workers in Alameda County, saying they suspected for months the child was being abused and was in danger, according to The Los Angeles Times.

But the family members said their pleas were ignored. An investigative report by the San Jose Mercury News showed Alameda County officials made glaring errors in the case.

Johnson remains at the Merced County Jail in lieu of $1.1 million bail. Her next court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 3.

About the Author

Victor Patton is managing editor of The Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.