In June 2023, Nascar champion Jimmie Johnson‘s mother and father-in-law and their grandson were found dead in what police declared a murder-suicide — here’s an update on what’s happened to Johnson since then.
In the aftermath of the Johnson family tragedy, Johnson posted a statement on Instagram:
“Our family is devastated by the profound loss of (Terry) Lynn, Jack and Dalton Janway. We have been humbled by the outpouring of love and support during this unthinkably sad time and remain grateful for all of your compassion.”
via Jimmie Johnson/Instagram
In an appearance on TODAY, Johnson added,
“First and foremost, thank you for the support. Friends and family, fans far and wide have been extremely supportive, and that’s helped us through this incredibly difficult time. We’re managing the best we can, and that’s really all you can do, so thank you for the support and the continued support.”
via TODAY
What happened to Jimmie Johnson’s in-laws?
According to Oklahoma police, Terry, who was 68 when she died, called 911 around 9 p.m. the night she died and said there was someone inside the Janway home with a gun. When police arrived, they found Jack, 69, dead from a gunshot wound in the hall of the home, near the door. Dalton, meanwhile, was found dead in his bed with gunshot wounds to his head and chest, and Terry was found dead from what authorities believe was a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest.
According to The Oklahoman, autopsy results from Jimmie Johnson’s mother and father-in-law, Terry Lynn and Jack Janway, and their grandson, Dalton Janway, were released in Aug. 2023. Dalton, who was 11 years old when he died, was the nephew of Johnson’s wife, Chandra Janway, whom the race car driver married in 2004. It’s unclear which of Chandra’s three siblings — Jordan, Caleb, or Marianne — was Dalton’s parent.
Jack and Dalton’s cause of death was declared a homicide. Terry, meanwhile, died by suicide. She lived with depression after the death of her son, Jordan Janway — Chandra’s Janway’s brother — in a 2004 skydiving accident, according to The Independent. The Janway family murder-suicide otherwise had no known motive.
Jimmie Johnson NASCAR Hall of Fame announcement
Around the same Jimmie Johnson’s family was reeling from the tragedy, Johnson was nominated to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Aug. 2023 as a first-ballot hall-of-famer, PennLive reported that year. On Jan. 16, the freshly minted hall-of-fame nominee returned to TODAY to reveal his then-upcoming premier series schedule. In that TODAY appearance, Johnson also announced a sponsorship deal with Legacy Motor Club and Carvana.
Referring to the Carvana deal, Johnson said in a team release:
“I’m so proud to represent Carvana for a second NASCAR season, and our fourth season overall as partners, at some of my favorite races. Carvana is a fun brand that captures the joy of cars and racing, and they do a great job leveraging their partnership with Legacy M.C. I’m excited to have a shot at another Daytona 500 trophy in our new Toyota Camry XSEs, and the paint scheme is sure to be a fan favorite.”
via NASCAR.com
Johnson’s 2024 races would be his first competition since 2020. He was also set to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame that same year.