Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Year : 2, Issue : 11
A criminal justice reform advocate who was released from prison last year and was recently a guest on a high-profile podcast has been arrested after police found a headless torso in a New York City apartment, according to authorities.
Sheldon Johnson, 48, faces a charge of second-degree murder following the discovery, local jail records showed.
Investigators identified the alleged victim in the case as 44-year-old Collin Small. They did not specify his relationship to Johnson, but the New York Post quoted police sources who said the pair may have fallen out while spending time together in the state prison colloquially known as Sing Sing.
Johnson, who spent more than two decades imprisoned in connection with a violent robbery, was released in May and pursued a career working as a counselor for at-risk youth through the Queens Defenders, which provides legal representation to people who are charged with crimes but are unable to afford attorneys. Across the US, formerly incarcerated people are often very effectively employed working in such roles.
Johnson also spoke publicly in favor of prioritizing rehabilitation for people accused of crimes rather than incarceration.
Police said they found Small’s remains while checking on him at the request of his Bronx apartment building’s superintendent.
Small’s other foot, and his arms, legs and head, were found inside the apartment’s freezer, the New York Daily News reported, citing sources familiar with the case.
Police allege Johnson shot Small to death and dismembered his corpse. Johnson reportedly told journalists “I’m innocent” as he was led out of a police station in handcuffs. Investigators booked him into jail Thursday on charges of murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.
Under New York law, Johnson could receive another 25 years in prison if convicted of murder.
Source: New York Post/New York Daily News/ The Guardian
