FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 7, 2022
Brooklyn Man Indicted for Murder and Dismemberment of Girlfriend
Victim’s Remains Found Stashed in Suitcases in Her East New York Apartment
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been arraigned on an indictment charging him with the murder and dismemberment of his girlfriend, whose remains were found in suitcases in her East New York apartment.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant is accused of the horrific murder and dismemberment of his former girlfriend. While we can’t erase the tragic and cruel death of D’Asia Johnson, we are fully committed to bringing this defendant to justice. I hope that this prosecution brings a measure of solace to D’Asia’s family and friends.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Justin Williams, 24, of Manhattan. He was arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on one count of second-degree murder and one count of concealment of a human corpse. He was ordered held without bail and to return to court on January 25, 2023. The defendant faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, the victim, D’Asia Johnson, went home after work on August 21, 2022, entered her apartment on Linwood Avenue in East New York, and never exited the apartment again. Furthermore, according to the investigation, in the early morning hours of August 22, 2022, the defendant allegedly stabbed the victim nine times – five times to the front of her torso and four times to the back. The defendant and the victim had dated for several years.
It is alleged that the defendant dismembered the victim’s body and concealed the body parts in two suitcases. He allegedly resided in the apartment for a month and used towels and cleaning products to mask the smell.
The defendant allegedly fled the apartment following a wellness check by building personnel who became concerned because they had not seen the victim in a while. They then called police, who discovered the body.
The case was investigated by New York City Police Department Detective Ryan Glasser of the 75th Precinct Detective Squad and Detectives Michael Narsingh and Adam McLawhorn of the NYPD’s Brooklyn North Homicide.
The District Attorney thanked Paralegals Janette Ayala, Meghan Brancato and Amanda Connolly of the Homicide Bureau for their assistance on the case.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Perry, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Ernest Chin, Deputy Bureau Chief, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Bureau Chief.
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An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.