Homicide Report > Timothy Johnson, 37
Timothy Johnson, 37
Died Nov. 25, 2007 at 3:23 a.m.
Shortly after 3 a.m. on Nov. 25, a 37-year-old black man named Timothy Johnson was shot multiple times on East 92nd Street in Watts as he returned home from a party. By the time police arrived, Johnson was dead, and the people who had been on the street with him had disappeared. A pit bull puppy chained in the yard was curled up on his body for warmth.
Johnson's killing, like most of the others described in the Los Angeles Times' online Homicide Report, drew scant attention from media accustomed to a metronome beat of black-on-black killings. But such killings in South Los Angeles often contain within them interlocking strands of other murders — other cases of thwarted justice.
When the bare details of Johnson's murder were posted on the blog, more than 100 people commented. The excerpts below — cut for space, but otherwise unedited — encapsulate the effect of one such murder cluster on a small community.
Johnson, whose street nickname was "Sinister," had long been a member of a Green Meadows Blood gang associated with 89th Street in Watts, according to police. He had been connected by police to four homicides. In 1989, he was acquitted of two killings. A decade later, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder; he served time in prison and was paroled in 2004. Shortly after, police named him as a suspect in the killing of another man, but Johnson was never charged. In each of these cases, the victims were black men.
Johnson is the younger brother of Cleamon Johnson, nicknamed "Big Evil," who was convicted of killing two people in 1991 and is now on death row in California.
In recent years, family members and friends claimed that Timothy Johnson had changed. He became the father of two children and was leading, they said, a more responsible life.
The excerpts on these pages show how people respond with their best and worst when confronted by the catastrophe of an unchecked homicide cycle. They are helpless or defiant, vengeful or forgiving. They equivocate, or they show flashes of superb moral clarity. Most of all, they suffer.
The comments are excerpted from The Times' online Homicide Report. They were posted by members of the public and have not been verified or authenticated by The Times. For the full comments, go to http://www.latimes.com/johnson
— Jill Leovy
- Neighborhood: Green Meadows
- Age: 37
- Gender: Male
- Cause: Gunshot
- Day of the week: Sunday
- Agency: LAPD Southeast
- Race/Ethnicity: Black
- Crime scene: Public place
11 reader comments about Timothy Johnson
Although I didn't know this man; It's really saddening too hear that someone would leave a man alone in the street too die!. And to be found with a dog curled up on you... Come on people.... I guess that's what street friends will do for you. About 4 years ago my father was done the same way " left on the street by some his STREET friends to die alone. If you didn't kill him or have anything too do with the death why RUN?...
June 25, 2010 at 7:53 p.m.
This guy was no saint> This guy was from swan blood gang and was a know killer. not just any killer but a sort of like street serial killer.He probably had at least 20 killing under his belt. This loser brother is in jail for guess what ???murder..this guy street name was evil
Dec. 4, 2010 at 1:03 p.m.
Johnson's killing in 2007 prompted one of the longest and most riveting strings of comments on the Homicide Report. Jill Leovy wrote more about the case on Dec. 23, 2007, which is now excerpted above. Readers may also view the original post using the link to the archived post on the right above.
Dec. 4, 2010 at 1:34 p.m.
To all the newer readers of the HR; please look through the comments that were left regarding the deceased.
Reading about the life of this individual does bring into focus on whether someone truly deserves to die.
The insanity of this individual, his family and the gang enablers who helped him in his vicious and wicked life is amazing!
Dec. 5, 2010 at 9:34 a.m.
LA Times, how about sending some of your budding journalists to do a follow up story on this mans family and friends?
May 25, 2011 at 10:49 p.m.
Syscom3,
Any particular reason? Just wondering why.
May 26, 2011 at 11:07 p.m.
@Jake, many of us are fascinated by the psychology behind street gangs, murder and the society that promotes and/or tolerates it. I myself would like to see a follow-up on this family.
Oct. 10, 2011 at 9:50 a.m.
give me a break - and many are just nosy.
April 27, 2012 at 8:09 a.m.
— give US a break .... if pursuing a good story to read or seeking intellectual enlightenment means a person is "nosy"; then being "nosy" is a good trait.
If you werent "nosy" yourself, then why are you even reading a newspaper?
April 27, 2012 at 11:07 a.m.
syscom3 - I find 'give me a break' extremely annoying. That's all.
May 1, 2012 at 9:57 a.m.
What a nice parson he was ,him and his brother.
Dec. 26, 2012 at 10:57 a.m.
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