Sheldon Johnson, once a vocal advocate for criminal justice reform, now finds himself on the other side of the law.
The 48-year-old was arrested on a murder charge after police discovered body parts in a freezer at a New York City home. Johnson, who had been released from prison last year, was taken into custody without bond, facing charges including second-degree murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession of a weapon.
The victim, identified as 44-year-old Collin Small, was found in a gruesome state, with his headless torso discovered during a welfare check at his Bronx home.
The cause of death is pending determination by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. However, reports suggest that Small was shot and dismembered, with further body parts found in Johnson’s Harlem apartment.
Sheldon Johnson’s arrest is particularly shocking given his last month’s revelation when he appeared as a guest on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. There, he spoke about his transformation from a high-ranking member of the Bloods to a champion for change, working with at-risk youth at the Queens Defenders in New York.
“I really said: I have to change my life. I have to change my life. I just can’t do this. I had a wife, I had kids, I had family still, my son was growing up. He was hearing stories of my so-called notoriety. I just didn’t want to be that dad,” Johnson had said on an episode.
His story of redemption, now marred by this horrifying incident, has left many questioning the authenticity of his advocacy.
According to the New York Daily News, Sheldon Johnson still proclaimed his innocence to the reporters present as he was led out of the police station, a stark contrast to the evidence stacked against him.
