Nothing about Graham Johnson's plan would surprise the parent ofa young boy, or anyone who still smiles recalling their ownadolescent schemes.
After a night of Guitar Hero with friends, the 14-year-old wentupstairs in his Skyway home to hug his father good night -- partly,his dad believes now, to make sure that the only adult supervisinghis sleepover was headed to bed.
Then Graham and his friends slipped into the night, and whatbegan as an innocent plan to visit a girl took a horrific turn.
The five boys were returning home early that morning, about oneblock from Graham's door, when police say a Pontiac GTO camewhipping around a curve on Orion Drive.
The boys heard the car coming. They just assumed it would slowdown.
The five took off running when the car came over a rise and intoview.
Graham's path was blocked by a retaining wall.
'He was hit in the back,' said Robert Johnson, his father. 'Oneof his friends tried to give him mouth-to-mouth. His neck wasbroken. I think he died instantly.'
Meanwhile, as Graham's friends tried to help, police say 21-year-old Michael E. Gibbs drove away. Authorities said they followedengine fluids from his battered GTO to where he parked, in hisparent's driveway, not far from the Johnson home.
For Graham's father, the nightmare has replayed in his mind sinceFeb. 23.
That morning, he said, he lost his best friend -- a 'sweet boy'who taught him to snowboard, enjoyed basketball and lacrosse, andhad just begun developing a taste for photography as a ninth-graderat Cheyenne Mountain High School.
'He was just a wonderful little guy,' his father told The Gazetteafter the tragedy.
Graham was
Born in North Carolina and lived for a few years in Louisville,Ky., before his family moved to Colorado Springs. He enrolled inGold Camp elementary and attended public schools on the city'ssoutheast side.
He is also survived by his mother and sister, a college freshman.
After his death, Graham's photography class assembled a portfolioof his photographs and presented it to his family. He received aposthumous award for a photo of one of his dogs, captured with amanual-focus Pentax k1000.
'It was the first time I could think of that he really justenjoyed a class,' his father said.
Robert Graham -- himself a 'big kid,' he said -- laughed whilerecalling the night he and his son stayed up late while Grahamconquered the final level of Guitar Hero. The pair used to fightside by side while playing World of Warcraft, a computer game.
'I was a priest, and he was a little rogue. I would just have toheal,' he said.
In December, thieves broke into the Johnson home and cleared outall the video game consoles that had gone untouched in the basementsince the morning Graham sneaked out with his friends and never cameback.
Robert Graham thought instantly of his son, who would have beendevastated, he said.
'You got through so much -- hate, anger, all the other things,'he said of Gibbs, whose trial on vehicular homicide charges is setfor June 15. 'But I guess the question I have is, can he survive,and make a life, and not hurt anybody else ?'
contact the writer: 636-0366 or lance.benzel@gazette.com
