Woman accused of kidnapping, killing little girl to stand trial

PENN HILLS — The woman accused of kidnapping and suffocating a little girl will stand trial in the coming months.

Sharena Nancy is charged with homicide, kidnapping, abuse of corpse and other offenses.

She appeared to show no emotion during a status hearing on Wednesday in which attorneys on both sides confirmed they are prepared to go to trial this May.

Nancy is accused of killing two-year-old Nalani Johnson and abandoning her body in a park in Indiana County back in August 2019. Nancy had apparently been dating the little girl’s father, and abducted her following an argument.

Taji Walsh, her grandmother, declined to discuss the investigation, but told Channel 11 “the pain has not gone away.”

“It’s a struggle every day,” Walsh said. “I walk into my living room and I see her picture, and knowing she’s not here, there are no more memories we can build with her, it’s hard.”

In the years since Johnson was murdered, Walsh and her family members have worked to prevent anyone else from facing this type of tragedy.

They have fought to change the Amber Alert system in hopes of expediting the search for missing children.

“The things that the police officers have to go through in order to actually get an Amber Alert issued - it just seems like it’s so lengthy,” Walsh said. “I think if things can be tailored down, and these alerts could get out quicker, a lot of kids would be safe.”

Walsh told Channel 11 that it took nearly two-and-a-half hours before an Amber Alert was issued for Johnson.

“Had that information been out earlier, people could have been looking for the car, and, possibly, she would still be here with us,” Walsh said.

In 2020, State Rep. Anthony DeLuca sponsored House Bill 2295, or the “Nalani Johnson Rule,” which would require “the Missing Endangered Person Advisory System to be activated immediately when a parent or family member reports that their child has been abducted, so that the public can be informed more quickly.”

But since being introduced, the bill has apparently stalled.

“It’s just at a standstill,” Walsh said, and urged people to contact their legislators for action.

Channel 11 reached out to Rep. DeLuca’s office to see where things stand and why further action has not been taken.

DeLuca told us the bill was reintroduced this year, and remains a priority. He said the hold-up relates to concerns addressed by Pennsylvania State Police, and he hopes to make modifications with the agency’s guidance.

Channel 11 reached out to a PSP spokesperson regarding the reported concerns and received the following response:

“The Pennsylvania State Police has concerns about proposals which deviate from nationally recognized best practices and which could dilute the effectiveness of the current alert system.”

Friends, family celebrate on what would have been Nalani Johnson’s birthday

©2022 Cox Media Group