Courtney Johns

Courtney Johns believes journalism should “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” It’s a philosophy that has shaped her approach to investigative reporting throughout her career.

Courtney joined Arizona’s Family in 2026 as a True Crime Investigative Host, bringing more than a decade of experience reporting, anchoring and investigating stories.

Before coming to Arizona, Courtney spent five years working in Utah as an investigative reporter and anchor. Her reporting focused on public accountability, criminal justice and issues affecting vulnerable communities, often relying on public records, data and extensive source reporting to uncover problems that might otherwise remain hidden.

Courtney is an Emmy Award-winning journalist whose work has also been recognized by the Utah Society of Professional Journalists with the Don Baker Investigative Reporting Award, which honors exceptional investigative journalism.

During her time in Utah, Courtney reported extensively on the treatment of children in residential treatment programs and the use of seclusion rooms in public schools, issues that became the subject of legislative and regulatory changes in the state. Her reporting also examined protections for domestic violence survivors and exposed problems with major cellphone providers’ compliance with a federal law designed to help survivors separate their phone service from an abuser.

Courtney has covered some of Utah’s most closely watched criminal cases, including the Tyler Robinson case, the Kouri Richins case and the Haight family murders, in which a southern Utah father killed his wife, their five children and his mother-in-law before taking his own life.

Courtney also spent years reporting on Jonathan Soberanis, who was repeatedly charged with sexual crimes involving children but whose cases were repeatedly dismissed because of competency findings. Her coverage followed the issue into federal court, where Soberanis was eventually found competent and pleaded guilty to sex crimes for the first time in federal court.

At Arizona’s Family, Courtney brings that same investigative approach to True Crime Arizona, digging beyond the headlines to examine evidence, court records and unanswered questions surrounding criminal cases.

Outside the newsroom, Courtney enjoys hiking, skiing and snowboarding, trying new food and spending time with her rescue dog, Kojo. She is excited to call Arizona home and to be closer to family.