A justice system activist in NYC has been arrested on charges in connection to a headless torso found in a Bronx apartment. Surveillance footage reportedly shows the individual wearing blonde wigs and moving a large plastic box from the crime scene.
Sheldon Johnson Jr., 48, was captured on Thursday with regard to a dismembered body discovered in a blue bin and a head hidden in a freezer inside the Bronx apartment located two days earlier.
Former Bloods Gang Member Turned Advocate Arrested
An investigation began after a neighbor reported hearing gunshots coming from Johnson's unit. Also, the witness saw Johnson's questionable actions, as he went inside and out of the building several times throughout the night, with various cleaning supplies in hand. Surveillance footage showed Johnson holding cleaning items and a full black garbage bag outside his apartment's front door.
Sheldon Johnson, a former high-ranking member of the Bloods gang, had spent 25 years in prison for attempted murder, according to a local news report. Since his release, he had been working with the Queens Defenders office, advocating for criminal justice reform and discussing his journey on platforms like 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast.
Law enforcement sources revealed that upon reviewing the surveillance footage, they searched Johnson's apartment, leading to the discovery of the victim's dismembered body parts, including legs, arms, and head, stored in the freezer. The victim's torso and foot were found in a blue bin inside the unit, with the head bearing a bullet wound.
The suspect's father, Sheldon Johnson Sr., was shocked by his son's alleged connection to the crime. Johnson Sr., who is hearing impaired along with his wife and daughter, stated that his son had recently secured a job as a client advocate for Queens Defenders and appeared dedicated to making progress in his life.
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Troubled Past of Suspect Revealed
Johnson Jr. has a history of incarceration at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and has faced legal issues, such as a 1997 robbery and criminal possession of stolen property. However, he appeared to be working on improving himself by discussing his experiences of intergenerational incarceration on different platforms.
Regardless of Johnson Sr.'s claim that his son was on the verge of revolving his life around, authorities are investigating drugs as a potential reason for the brutal killing. Johnson Jr.'s previous involvement with drugs, which traces back to his teenage years selling drugs in Harlem, is now the primary center of the investigation.
It also depends on Johnson Jr.'s hard history, which includes another occurrence in 2008 where his son, Sheldon Johnson, became involved in a deadly assault on a Columbia University graduate student. Young Johnson was sent to a juvenile detention boot camp for the manslaughter charge.
As the investigation progresses, the community actions with the dangerous distinction between Johnson Jr.'s recent advocacy work and the disturbing claims against him. The Queens Defenders office has not yet provided a statement, leaving a lot of unanswered questions about the alarming instances that have happened, Daily News reported.
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