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A single mother in Berlin says her 8-year-old son and other young boys were exposed to inappropriate behavior by employees at the city’s Recreation Center, and as a result of her complaints, an investigation is underway by the police department.

Lynn Blais told NHJournal she is still in shock after hearing what happened to her son and other children in the care of the city employees at the Berlin Recreation Center.

“It’s not a safe environment for these kids,” Blais said.

Blais says three male staffers in their late teens and early 20s engaged her son and three other boys, all under the age of 10, in a disturbing game last week. The children were given candy by the staffers in exchange for going into the parking lot, entering unlocked cars, and removing something from the car.

The same staffers reportedly asked the four boys for photos of themselves in bathing suits, and one staffer even told her son that another staffer has a “crush” on him.

But Blais’s shock turned to horror when she told Berlin Recreation Director Duane “DJ” Johnson about the inappropriate behavior. She says Johnson told her that pedophilia humor among the staffers is tolerated. Johnson told Blais the young men were simply joking around, and he found the car game funny.

“The problem nowadays is that people are too sensitive,” Johnson reportedly told Blais.

Johnson is a popular figure in Berlin, having successfully coached Babe Ruth baseball in the city and the VFW Post 36 team. But he created controversy when recent photos posted to social media showed Johnson and the Post 36 baseball team posing with a giant inflatable penis following a victory.

The penis photos were taken outside of Johnson’s duties as a city employee, leaving the city unable to take any direct action, according to officials.

Blais said Monday she is alarmed by the staffers continuing to push the boundaries of their behavior with young children.

“This situation, and this behavior, are classic grooming behavior techniques,” Blais said.

Grooming refers to deliberate actions by an adult to build trust with a child (and often with the child’s caregivers or community) in order to lower boundaries and eventually enable sexual abuse or exploitation.

During their conversation last week, Johnson told Blais that the three staffers in question all come from important families in the area, she told NHJournal. Blais took that comment as a veiled threat to keep her quiet, but it didn’t work.

“My son and my family are just as important as any of these people,” Blais said.

Blais went to the Berlin Police Department last week to file a complaint, hoping to at least put a stop to the staffers’ inappropriate behavior. In the course of pushing police and city officials about the matter, Blais learned that none of the security cameras at the Recreation Center are working.

Johnson did not answer his phone on Monday, and his voicemail was full when NHJournal tried contacting him. His continued status as recreation director is in doubt.

On Monday, Johnson posted a vague statement on his Facebook account. “This is a very sad day for me ot truly is, i mean it just sucks ! But i will soldier on ! And im not gonna put it on here , im just upset leave it at that [sic],” Johnson wrote.

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City Manager Philip Warren told Blais during Monday’s city council meeting that he is addressing the issues at the Recreation Center. Warren could not give details when asked about Johnson’s job status, citing employment privacy laws.

“The appropriate action has been, and is being taken,” Warren said.

As for the three staffers who engaged in the disturbing behavior, Warren said they will not be back.

“We’ve taken very swift action to remedy this,” Warren said. “These individuals will not be working with our children for the city.”

Berlin Police Chief Jeff Lemoine acknowledged the investigation into Blais’ complaint is ongoing.

Blais got support this week from state Rep. Lori Korzen (R-Berlin), who said it’s time for the city of Berlin to ditch the “good-old-boys” style of politics that allows bad behavior to go unpunished.

“Berlin is a small city, with the good-old-boys network that they all went to school with each other,” Korzen said.

Korzen’s husband, Steven Korzen, is a member of the city council.

Working parents in and around Berlin, like Blais, rely on the Recreation Department as an affordable after-school option, Korzen said. These parents have to know their kids will be safe and not be made part of inappropriate jokes and games, she said.

“These are people’s babies. They shouldn’t be the butt of people’s jokes,” Korzen said.

Two days before Marisol Fuentes was viciously gunned down by her estranged husband, Michael Gleason Jr., Berlin police failed to take action on a report that Gleason was planning to kill her.

The revelation that Berlin police could have stopped Gleason before he killed his wife and turned the gun on himself is one of the many systemic failures found in the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office report released Tuesday.

“Based on the facts developed to date, the DOJ concludes that the Berlin PD officer’s actions in response to the information Berlin PD received from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department were wholly insufficient under the circumstances,” the report states.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte said the DOJ report shows New Hampshire has a long way to go when it comes to helping victims of domestic violence.

“Our justice system failed Marisol Fuentes at every level, from the local police to the magistrates. We must do better so that this never happens again,” Ayotte said.

The report is the first step in fixing the system, Executive Councilors Joe Kenney (R-Wakefield) and John Stephen (R-Manchester) said in a statement. They want full investigations into all the police and judicial officials who allowed Gleason to remain free until the July 6 murder.

“Marisol’s story is a stark reminder that domestic violence knows no boundaries, and our response must match its urgency. We stand ready to support these reforms through the Executive Council and will continue advocating for resources to make New Hampshire a safer place for all,” Stephen and Kenney said.

Amanda Grady Sexton, director of public affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said New Hampshire needs to take steps to share information about domestic violence cases between police and courts, such as requiring the use of lethality assessments for domestic violence cases.

“Only when police, prosecutors, and the courts have full information about an offender’s history and access to evidence-based lethality assessment tools can they make informed decisions that best prioritize the safety of victims and the public,” Grady Sexton said. “The coalition will continue working closely with survivors, surviving family members, and state partners, including the legislature, to ensure that lasting change is made. Every survivor in New Hampshire deserves to be believed, supported, and protected when they reach out for help.”

Gleason let himself into the La Casita Mexican Restaurant in Berlin with a stolen key on the morning of July 6, hours before it opened, according to the report. The violence was captured on the restaurant’s surveillance cameras.

Gleason hid behind a corner booth for hours waiting for Fuentes to get to work. When Fuentes started working alone behind the counter, Gleason left his hiding place, carrying a sawed-off shotgun. He shot her at close range and continued shooting her as she lay on the kitchen floor.

Gleason then went to the nearest bathroom and shot himself in the face with the shotgun. But the blast didn’t kill him, according to the report. The horribly disfigured Gleason stumbled out of the bathroom and walked around the dining area to the front door of the restaurant, and finally back to where Fuentes was on the floor.

After a minute of shambling, Gleason went back to the bathroom and can be seen by the camera picking up the shotgun, aiming it under his face, and firing the fatal shot.

But days before he committed that terrible violence, Gleason told his friend, Walter Marchiso, what he planned to do. Marchiso saw Gleason on July 2 and 3 and was so alarmed by what he heard, he called the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department on July 4. According to Marchiso, Gleason repeatedly talked about killing himself and Fuentes.

“Gleason (told Marchiso), not being in his right state of mind, that he had been having a hard time with the woman he married and that he should just kill himself and maybe take her out too,” the report states.

Marchiso called the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department at 6:17 a.m. on July 4, and Carroll County got that information to Berlin police before 6:31 a.m. the same morning. By 6:36 a.m., Berlin Officer Jarod Beale was fully aware of Marchiso’s concerns. But from there, Beale did little to investigate and closed the case by 7:30 a.m., according to the DOJ report.

“[Beale] contacted Gleason by phone, and that Gleason denied both knowing anyone by the name of Marchiso and that he needed any assistance. No further action was taken by Berlin PD relative to Marchiso’s call,” the DOJ report states.

Gleason wasn’t a stranger to Berlin police when the July 4 report came through. He had been on police radar since at least April of this year, when he was first arrested for assaulting Fuentes. He was in and out of court for no-contact orders and criminal hearings, as well as an accusation that he sexually assaulted a minor child.

Bail Magistrate Stephanie Johnson already lost her job when it came out that she allowed Gleason to remain free on $5,000 cash bail after his April arrest on charges of kidnapping, domestic violence, aggravated felonious sexual assault, domestic violence, and theft by unauthorized taking. At the time, the Berlin police prosecutor wanted Gleason held without bail due to the danger he represented to Fuentes.

The DOJ report faults Berlin police for not taking any action to protect Fuentes after receiving the report from Carroll County, but is careful not to blame any individual officer. There’s currently a pending internal investigation in the Berlin department, and the DOJ states its report illustrates the need for more training.

“This lack of action highlights the need for further training for law enforcement in communicating with and supporting victims in domestic violence cases,” the report states.

Attorney General John Formella said Fuentes’ murder is exactly the type of crime the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, created this year by an act of the Legislature, is designed to prevent. Formella announced the membership of the committee on Tuesday after the report was made public.

“Historically, more than half of the homicides handled by the Attorney General’s Office have been related to domestic violence,” Formella said. “Each of these tragedies has a devastating impact—not only on the families and friends of the victims but on the broader community. The work of this committee is designed to ensure that we are learning from these cases, strengthening our systems, and doing everything we can to prevent future fatalities.”

The bail magistrate who reportedly ignored red flags to allow repeat offender Michael Gleason Jr. to walk free before he murdered his wife, Marisol Fuentes, is no longer on the job.

“Stephanie Johnson is not an employee of the New Hampshire Judicial Branch. The branch has two magistrate positions that are currently vacant,” Av Harris, public information officer for the New Hampshire Judicial Branch, told NHJournal Tuesday.

Johnson was one of three magistrates appointed late last year when the position was created. Now, the only bail magistrate still working is Frank Weeks, Harris said.

Executive Councilor John Stephen (R-Manchester) first broke the news on the Jack Heath radio show Tuesday morning.

“I received a message this morning from the court that this magistrate has been released and is no longer employed by the court,” Stephen told the radio host. Later in the day, the councilor issued a statement welcoming Johnson’s exit. Stephen and others wanted Johnson gone over her handling of Gleason’s bail, as well as her mishandling of a Manchester stabbing case months earlier.

“This is just the first step in solving the gaps in our criminal justice system that leave victims vulnerable to further violence,” Stephen said.

Gleason murdered Fuentes on July 6 inside the La Casita Mexican restaurant in Berlin, where she worked. He then took his shotgun into a bathroom and killed himself.

Johnson granted $5,000 cash bail for Gleason, 50, in April when he was charged with sexually assaulting Fuentes, kidnapping her, and stealing her cell phone and $8,000 in cash she was saving. At the time, the Berlin Police wanted Gleason held on bail, but Johnson allowed him to post cash bail instead.

The Internal Review Committee appointed by Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald to investigate the murder found Johnson could have determined, based on the evidence she had, that Gleason was a danger to Fuentes in April and had him held on preventive detention.

“Implicit in the magistrate’s decision was a determination that it had not been shown by clear and convincing evidence that Gleason posed a danger to himself or to the public. The Committee concludes, however, that sufficient evidence existed to hold Gleason in preventive detention,” the report states.

Johnson, Weeks, and Jaye Duncan were appointed as magistrates in December as part of Gov. Chris Sununu’s second attempt at bail reform. The magistrates were supposed to relieve pressure on judges by presiding over bail hearings on nights and weekends.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte pushed for major changes to the bail system once she took office in January, citing repeat, violent offenders getting out of jail thanks to the failed bail reform law. Starting Sept. 21, magistrates will no longer preside over bail hearings under the change Ayotte pushed.

The committee report cites numerous other problems in the way court officials and police officers treated Gleason and Fuentes between April and the July 6 murder. Stephen said that with Johnson gone, it’s time to review the entire system to ensure that victims are protected.

Court officials, judges, lawyers, and police officers all need better training on how to treat domestic violence victims; the courts need better technology to share information in real time so that troubling facts can be communicated; and there needs to be a way to make sure police enforce court orders in domestic violence and stalking cases. Gleason was ordered four times between April and the July murder to hand over his guns and knives, but there is no record from police that ever happened. Above all, Stephen said, there needs to be greater oversight of New Hampshire’s judges.

“We must implement a mechanism outside of the judicial branch to keep them accountable and ensure they’re fulfilling their duties in maintaining the public trust,” Stephen said.

Stephen and Executive Councilor Joe Kenney (R-Wakefield) will meet with Attorney General John Formella, Department of Safety Commissioner Robert Quinn, Police Standards and Training Executive Director John Scippa, and others on Sept. 4 to discuss ways to continue the efforts to protect victims.

“While the failed bail experiment comes to an end, I know that everyone in our state government is committed to further strengthening and improving our systems in order to protect victims and ensure violent offenders aren’t released onto the streets to perpetrate further violence,” Stephen said. “Marisol will not be brought back by the work we are doing—but her legacy will be an incredibly impactful one across the state, and the work this tragedy inspired will save lives.”

Bail Magistrate Stephanie Johnson ignored evidence that Michael Gleason Jr. was dangerous and allowed him to walk free months before he murdered his estranged wife. That was the finding of a court-appointed commission looking into Gleason’s murder of 25-year-old Marisol Fuentes at a Berlin restaurant in July.

The Internal Review Committee appointed by Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald was tasked with reviewing the conduct of court officials involved in Gleason’s criminal cases. It released its final report Monday criticizing Johnson for ignoring the evidence of Gleason’s potential for violence when she rejected the Berlin Police Department’s request that he be detained and instead released the 50-year-old repeat offender on cash bond.

“Implicit in the magistrate’s decision was a determination that it had not been shown by clear and convincing evidence that Gleason posed a danger to himself or to the public. The Committee concludes, however, that sufficient evidence existed to hold Gleason in preventive detention,” the report states.

Gleason murdered Fuentes July 6 inside the La Casita Mexican restaurant in Berlin where she worked. He then took his shotgun into a bathroom and killed himself.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who has previously called for Johnson’s resignation, said the case supports her push for the state’s new bail reform law.

“Marisol Fuentes’ murder was tragic and preventable, and the magistrate who made the decision to grant bail to her killer should resign. While we cannot undo that horrific crime, we can and must do better in the future,” Ayotte said in a statement.

“Since I’ve been in office, I have said that the magistrate system should be eliminated, and once the bail law I signed takes effect next month, it will be. I was also proud to sign laws to protect victims and prevent future tragedies with the help of our new Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee. We will continue to work every day to protect victims and keep dangerous criminals behind bars.”

Executive Councilor John Stephen (R-District 4) said it’s past time for Johnson to resign her position.

“The court’s internal review makes it clear: there was sufficient evidence to hold Gleason in preventive detention, yet he was released. That failure had fatal consequences and must never be repeated,” Stephen said. “I renew my calls for the immediate termination of Magistrate Stephanie Johnson and call on the legislature to further review the Circuit Court judge’s decision to continue bail in whatever context it deems appropriate.”

Johnson isn’t the only official implicated in failing Fuentes. District Court Judge Janet Subers, as well as the Berlin Police Department, are also cited in the report for their collective inaction.

Responding to the public outcry after Fuentes was murdered, MacDonald tasked Associate Supreme Court Justice Melissa Countway and Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court Ellen Christo to form the committee and investigate.

Gleason was charged in April with sexually assaulting Fuentes, kidnapping, and theft. Gleason allegedly stole $8,000 in cash from his young wife during a violent ordeal in their Berlin home. The day after Fuentes went to police, Gleason was caught running away from the couple’s home. At the time of the arrest, Gleason was carrying Fuentes’ cellphone.

There is no recording of the April bail hearing before Johnson, but the committee reports there was enough on the record at that time to find Gleason dangerous and a risk for further intimate partner violence, or IPV.

“Given that there is no transcript or audio recording of the proceeding before the magistrate, it is unknown what information and arguments were presented. There are, however, certain facts that were known at the time of the bail proceeding that are apparent from the affidavit supporting the arrest warrant and the complaints, which were indicative of dangerousness or IPV,” the report states.

Those facts include the age difference between Gleason and Fuentes, the violent nature of the alleged sexual assaults, and Gleason’s alleged efforts to keep Fuentes from reporting the assaults, such as stealing her money and her phone. Johnson’s bail order does not include a stipulation that Gleason prove he did not use the stolen $8,000 to pay his $5,000 cash bail. Her order also failed to include the home address as part of the no-contact provision of the order, according to the report.

A few days later, Gleason was arraigned in front of Judge Subers, who continued Johnson’s bail order despite also having enough evidence to find him dangerous, according to the report. Subers, however, did order that Gleason prove he did not use money he stole from Fuentes to pay his bail.

As the weeks progressed, Gleason was accused of stealing money from Fuentes to pay for his defense attorney, while in an unrelated case, a 17-year-old girl obtained a protective order on July 1 alleging he sexually assaulted her.

Gleason was subject to at least four court orders to relinquish his guns, ammunition, and knives based on the statements Fuentes and the other alleged victim made that he kept weapons in his home and car. But there is no record that the Berlin Police Department ever followed through and took away his guns or other deadly weapons, according to the report.

On at least two occasions, officers claimed that taking away Gleason’s weapons was not applicable to serving the relevant orders. Why Gleason’s guns were never confiscated — including the murder weapon — was not made clear in the report.

Berlin Police Chief Jeff Lemoine acknowledged last month the start of an internal investigation into why his department did not act when it got a report that Gleason was making “concerning comments” days before the murder.

Regardless of the outcome of efforts to hold her responsible, Johnson is going to lose her job as magistrate. The new bail law does away with the magistrate’s position altogether. Magistrates were intended to take pressure off judges and conduct bail hearings on nights and weekends.

Johnson, a private attorney married to state Rep. Erik Johnson (D-Strafford), was appointed to the position last year under a since-repudiated bail reform law backed by former Gov. Chris Sununu.

The Committee’s report highlights several gaps in the judicial system when it comes to sharing information and providing representation for domestic violence victims. Stephen said it’s time to close those gaps.

“Public safety must come first. Every risk indicator — protective orders, stalking findings, firearms access — must be in front of the judge before release is considered, and all tools must be available for immediate reconsideration of bail as new facts emerge,” Stephen said.

Berlin Police are conducting an internal investigation into how they handled a call warning officers about Michael Gleason Jr. two days before he murdered his estranged wife, Sandra Marisol Fuentes Huaracha.

Berlin Police Chief Jeff Lemoine acknowledged Thursday that someone called the department on the morning of July 4 to report that Gleason had made “concerning comments” about Fuentes and himself, Lemoine said in a statement.

Gleason, 50, murdered Fuentes, 25, on July 6 inside the La Casita Mexican restaurant in Berlin, where she worked. He then took his shotgun into a bathroom and killed himself, according to reports.

“We are reviewing our own practices and procedures to determine whether there are steps we can take to prevent such incidents from ever happening again here in Berlin,” the statement read.

Amanda Grady Sexton, Director of Public Affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said Fuentes’ murder needs to finally wake up people in power to enact reforms that will keep victims of domestic violence safe.

“It shouldn’t take another homicide to get the attention of those with the power to prevent it. Decision-makers must stop talking around the issue and start listening to victims, as well as the advocates and experts who support them. The time for meaningful reform is long overdue,” Grady Sexton said.

Executive Councilor Joe Kenney (R-Unity), Executive Councilor John Stephen (R-Manchester), and Executive Councilor Janet Stevens (R-Rye) all say it’s time to find out why New Hampshire failed Marisol Fuentes.

“We have to look at every single circumstance that was known to every single person involved in the system, that is supposedly there to protect people like Marisol,” Stephen said. “The system failed her, and we cannot tolerate this happening again.”

Gleason was out on $5,000 cash bail at the time of the murder, despite being charged in April with kidnapping, sexual assault, theft, and domestic violence after Fuentes went to Berlin Police to report her husband’s abuse, according to available records. 

That low cash bail amount was set by Magistrate Stephanie Johnson.

Days before the murder, a different woman was granted a stalking petition on July 1 by the district court in Berlin against Gleason after she alleged he sexually assaulted her several times.

Stevens is troubled by the fact that the Berlin Police do not appear to have acted after receiving a call on July 2 that Fuentes might be in danger. “When someone makes a threat, you need to act,” Stevens said.

Gleason’s release on the violent charges sparked calls for Johnson to resign. Stevens told NHJournal that whatever happened inside the Berlin Police Department does not change the fact that Gleason should never have been released after the April charges.

“He never should have been on the street to begin with,” Stevens said. “What the hell was he doing out on bail?”

Kenney, who represents Berlin, said people have come to him since the murder-suicide to tell him of alarming interactions with Gleason in the days before the murder. At least one of those incidents resulted in a call to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department, Kenney said.

Kenney and Stephen are bringing Attorney General John Formella, New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald, and Department of Safety Commissioner Robert Quinn into a meeting with the Executive Council next week to begin their own review of how Fuentes ended up dead despite the many red flags.

“We need to know the processes,” Kenney said. “We need to put the pieces of the puzzle together and find out what went wrong.”

Grady Sexton said too many women are falling through the cracks in the system, while men with a documented pattern of abuse are being allowed to walk free. 

“For too long, state and local agencies have responded to these tragedies with finger-pointing and statements instead of real solutions. Despite one domestic violence homicide after another in New Hampshire, little meaningful change has followed. New Hampshire cannot continue to tout itself as the safest state in the nation while women and children remain unsafe in their own homes,” Grady Sexton said. 

Stevens said everyone needs to know they can do something for people in crisis. The New Hampshire Rapid Response program, reached at 1-833-710-6477, is available 24/7 and will send a mobile team to people in extreme mental health or addiction crisis.

There’s also the 988 system, where people can call or text to reach one of 200 crisis centers across the country.

These are resources beyond calling 911 that anyone can use in an emergency, Stevens said.

“Anyone can call the crisis response team. We’ve got to focus on never allowing this to happen again,” Stevens said.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office issued a statement Thursday that it is monitoring the Berlin Police Department’s internal investigation.

​“The New Hampshire Department of Justice is treating the recent and tragic domestic violence-related homicide in Berlin with the utmost seriousness. We are actively gathering all relevant information, including monitoring the results of the Berlin Police Department’s ongoing internal investigation, and are working in close coordination with the New Hampshire State Police, the Coos County Attorney’s Office, and other appropriate partners to fully examine the circumstances of this case,” the statement read.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte pushed to create the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, which is now looking at the murder and the circumstances surrounding Gleason and Fuentes. MacDonald appointed ​​Circuit Court Administrative Judge Ellen Christo and Associate Supreme Court Justice Melissa Countway to review the case as well.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte says she agrees that Magistrate Stephanie Johnson should resign, joining a growing chorus of voices who want the court-appointed official to face the consequences of her recent bail rulings.

The calls for Johnson to step down began on Monday when Republican Executive Councilors Joe Kenney and John Stephen publicly released a letter they sent to state Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald and Administrative Judge Ellen Christo, urging them to immediately remove Johnson from her position.

“The release of this individual, who subsequently committed such a heinous act, represents a profound failure in our system that endangered lives and eroded trust in our judiciary,” Kenney and Stephen wrote. 

On Tuesday, fellow GOP Councilor Janet Stevens (R-District 3) joined the cause.

“Magistrate Stephanie Johnson must resign. Since she was sworn into office in December 2024, she has failed to protect the citizens of NH,” Stevens posted on social media. “In February, she released a man who later stabbed a stranger in Manchester. Five months later, an innocent 25-year-old woman is murdered by her former husband, who had been charged with kidnapping, domestic violence, and sexual assault, and granted bail by Johnson. Enough is enough.”

Gleason, 50, murdered his estranged wife, Sandra Marisol Fuentes Huaracha, 25, last week while she was working at the La Casita Mexican restaurant in Berlin. After gunning her down inside the restaurant, Gleason turned the shotgun on himself. At the time of the murder, Gleason was on bail on charges of kidnapping, domestic violence, sexual assault, and theft against Fuentes Huaracha.

MacDonald has already announced that both Christo and Associate Supreme Court Justice Melissa Countway are reviewing the Gleason case to identify red flags that court officials, such as Johnson, may have missed.

Johnson was appointed in December as one of New Hampshire’s first bail magistrates, a position created in yet another attempt to fix the failed bail reforms passed by a previously GOP-led legislature and signed by Gov. Chris Sununu. Magistrates like Johnson were tasked with hearing bail requests in the absence of a judge when one was unavailable.

Ayotte made fixing bail reform a top priority in her first term, and the changes she got through the legislature include the elimination of the bail magistrate system.

“I agree this magistrate should resign and, in fact, I advocated for eliminating all the magistrates in the stronger bail law that goes into effect in September so we can keep violent offenders and domestic abusers off our streets,” Ayotte told NHJournal. “My heart goes out to Marisol’s loved ones and the entire Berlin community, and I will continue fighting alongside our legislature to protect victims.”

House Republican leaders also called for Johnson’s resignation and highlighted Democratic opposition to some of Ayotte’s reform proposals.

“To be abundantly clear, incidents like these are why House Republicans passed, and Gov. Ayotte signed, commonsense bail reform, which will take full effect on September 21, 2025,” said Deputy House Majority Leader Joe Sweeney (R-Salem).

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that we keep dangerous criminals behind bars until their day in court. Yet Democrats stood in our way at every turn, even pushing a reckless amendment to forbid bail commissioners from reviewing prior convictions. Democrats would rather shield repeat offenders than protect law-abiding Granite Staters.”

In Berlin, the murder-suicide hit the community hard. The issue of Johnson’s handling of the case was first raised by Kenney, who represents the North Country community on the Executive Council.

“People just ask me how could this happen to a vivacious, young 25-year-old who had everything to live for and had in front of her, and it was all taken away because of a court system that basically gives a limited bail amount to this estranged husband,” Kenney said at last week’s council meeting.

On Tuesday, Mayor Robert Cone posted a copy of the Kenney-Stephen letter on his Facebook page with a two comment: “Absolutely agree.”

While removing Johnson from overseeing bail cases would be satisfying, Republicans privately acknowledged it’s also redundant. The new bail law requires all cases to be heard by judges; magistrates will be excluded from the process. Pressing for Johnson to resign, they say, is the right way to promote accountability and signal others in the judicial system that egregious rulings will come with consequences.

“Our citizens deserve better—no more delays, no more tragedies,” Sweeney said Tuesday. “The resignation of Magistrate Johnson is not about politics—it is the only way to restore faith in our justice system.”

When Michael Gleason Jr., 50, appeared before Bail Magistrate Stephanie Johnson in April on felony charges of sexual assault, kidnapping, domestic violence, and theft against his ex-wife, she let him out on $5,000 cash bail.

On Sunday, Gleason tracked down his ex, 25-year-old Marisol Fuentes, working at La Casita Mexican restaurant in Berlin, and gunned her down before turning the shotgun on himself.

Now, a state representative wants Johnson out.

Rep. Lori Korzen (R-Berlin) is calling on Johnson to resign from her post. On Thursday, she released a letter she sent to the magistrate urging her to step down.

“The bail system exists to balance the rights of the accused with the imperative of public safety. In this instance, I believe that balance was not achieved, and the result was a preventable tragedy,” Korzen wrote.

“Our community places its trust in the judiciary to exercise prudent judgment, especially in cases where there is a clear risk to individuals and public safety. When that trust is broken, the repercussions are felt far beyond the courtroom; they are measured in lives lost and families forever changed.”

The gruesome murder-suicide has hit the Berlin community hard. During Wednesday’s Executive Council meeting, which was held in Coos County, Councilor Joe Kenney spoke about the crime.

“People ask me how could this happen to a vivacious, young 25-year-old who had everything to live for and had in front of her, and it was all taken away because of a court system that basically give a limited bail amount to this estranged husband.”

Gov. Kelly Ayotte told the Council the incident was more proof the bail reform fix she championed was needed. Asked by NHJournal if she believes Johnson should resign, Ayotte pointed out, “The stronger bail law I championed eliminates the magistrates—and rightly so.”

Ayotte was more explicit in February when she criticized Johnson’s decision to release a stabbing suspect on personal recognizance. At the time, Ayotte used her budget speech to comment on the story and pitch for the new bail law.

“What happened in Manchester last Friday night is completely unbelievable, when an individual accused of repeatedly stabbing a complete stranger, and who has a prior conviction for domestic violence, is allowed to walk free by a magistrate. I cannot emphasize this enough,” Ayotte told the state legislators listening to her speech in the House chamber. “Send me legislation to fix this once and for all.”

Today, Korzen says Johnson needs to resign.

“Our community deserves leaders who act with the utmost vigilance and responsibility, particularly in matters where lives are at stake,” Korzen said. “My deepest sympathies remain with the family of Marisol Fuentes and all those affected by this senseless act. I urge you to consider the impact of this decision and to take the necessary steps to help our community heal and move forward.”