Detra Martin | Homicide Watch DC

Kevin Johnson Indicted in Girlfriend's Murder

Imari Williams — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 14:49:17 -0500

Kevin McDarin Johnson pleaded innocent Thursday to first-degree premeditated murder while armed in the choking death of Detra Martin on February 20.

Police found Martin, 48, late at night in a locked bedroom unconscious and strangled to death.

Before she was killed, charging documents say, Martin and Johnson had a heated confrontation over a loan given to Martin by a male friend.

At a preliminary hearing, MPD Detective Carter Adams testified that police interviewed Johnson about what happened the night of the murder. In that interview, Johnson said he wasn't in his right state of mind. Johnson claimed that he left the house, and Martin was still alive at the time, according to Adams. Johnson described Martin as gagging while laying on the bed, Adams recounted.

Video footage from the apartment complex shows Johnson entering the building alone, hours before the murder and leaving later with a large black bag. He is seen driving away from the complex in his purple conversion van, documents say.

A witness who lived with Martin said it spoke to her on the phone that evening. Eventually, the witness knocked on Martin's bedroom door and received no answer, court documents say. The witness then tried calling Martin's phone and opening her bedroom door, only to find it locked. Martin was found dead at approximately 10:40 p.m.

Two days before her death, Johnson told Martin that he loved her and if he couldn't have her, then no one would, the witness told police.

Johnson is scheduled for a status hearing January 23, 2015 at 9:45 a.m. before Judge Rhonda Reid Winston.

A copy of the indictment is embedded below:

Probable Cause Found in Case Against Kevin Johnson

Megan Arellano — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 18:06:59 -0400

Fifteen years ago, on November 23, 1998, Kevin McDarin Johnson strangled and killed his former girlfriend in Prince George's County, detectives say. And on June 4, 1999, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in Maryland court.

Now, months after he finished serving his five-year parole in late 2013, he faces another murder charge. He's suspected in the February strangulation death of his girlfriend, 48-year-old Detra Martin.

On Friday, Judge Rhonda Winston found probable cause in Johnson's case and ordered him held in connection with the case.

Prosecutors believe that Johnson and Martin had been arguing about a loan Martin received from an longtime male friend.

In court Friday, MPD Detective Carter Adams testified that Johnson spoke with police about what happened on February 20. Johnson said details of that night were hard to remember, Adams said.

"Maybe I wasn't in my right frame of mind," Johnson said, Adams recounted.

Adams testified that Johnson said Martin was alive that night when he left the house. Describing her he said she was laying on her bed gagging. Johnson said he did not call 911 or alert the neighbors of Martin's distress. Johnson told police that he turned off his phone and took the battery out.

Documents say that Martin was later discovered in a locked bedroom.

In his interview, Johnson told police that Martin had hit him in the past and that she got "up in his face" with a phone that night.

Adams said that Johnson had no visible injuries when he was arrested.

Charging documents say that witness who lived with Martin said that on February 18, Johnson told Martin that he loved her and if he could not have her no one would.

Two days later, the witness spoke to Martin on the phone at around 6:00 p.m. They found Martin dead at approximately 10:40 p.m.

Adams testified that the only other person believed to have keys to the apartment was Johnson.

Documents say that surveillance video from the grounds of the apartment complex shows Johnson entering the building alone around 8:12 p.m. and exiting nearly 90 minutes later carrying a large black bag.

A felony status conference is scheduled for May 21.

Kevin Johnson Held in Connection with Death of Girlfriend, Detra Martin

Kristian Hernandez — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 20:51:56 -0500

Kevin McDarin Johnson, 51, was held without bond Saturday on a charge of second-degree murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend, 48-year-old Detra Martin.

Martin was found unconscious and unresponsive on her bedroom floor in the 800 block of Southern Avenue in Southeast DC at about 11:00 p.m. Thursday. Police believe she was strangled. Her death was ruled a homicide on Friday.

Johnson was arrested in connection with the case Friday evening. According to charging documents, police believe that Johnson and Martin had been arguing about a loan Martin received from an old male friend.

According to the documents, a witness told police that the two were arguing before Martin was killed. The witness told police that on Tuesday Johnson told Hill that he loved her and if he could not have her no one would.

Two days later, the witness spoke to Martin on the phone at around 6:00 p.m. and returned to the apartment they shared at approximately 10:40 p.m.

The witness told police it eventually knocked on Martin's bedroom door and received no response. The witness then tried calling Martin's cell phone and opening Martin's bedroom door, only to find it was locked.

Documents say that two others told police they saw Martin outside her home that day with Johnson.

Surveillance video from the grounds of the apartment complex shows Johnson entering the building alone around 8:12 p.m. and exiting nearly 90 minutes later carrying a large black bag, according to the documents. Charging documents state the footage then shows Johnson driving from the apartment complex in his purple conversion van.

A preliminary hearing for this case is scheduled for Mar. 5.

Charging documents have been added to this post below.

Kevin McDarin Johnson Arrested in Strangling Death of Detra Martin

Chris Amico — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 10:15:10 -0500

Kevin McDarin Johnson, 51, was arrested Friday evening on suspicion of second-degree murder in the death of Detra Martin.

Martin, 48, died at a local hospital after being found unconscious in the 800 block of Southern Avenue Southeast. A medical examiner found that she died of "asphyxia due to strangulation" and ruled her death a homicide.

A press release from MPD is below:

(Washington, DC) – Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch have announced that an arrest has been made in the homicide which occurred in the 800 block of Southern Avenue, SE.

On Thursday, February 20, 2014, at approximately 10:57 pm, members of the Seventh District responded to a call for an unconscious person in the 800 block of Southern Avenue, SE. Upon their arrival, the officers located an adult female lying inside the residence in an unconscious state. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived on the scene and transported the victim to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. The decedent was subsequently transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia, where an autopsy was performed determining the cause of death to be asphyxia due to strangulation and manner of death Homicide.

The decedent is identified as 48 year-old Detra Martin of Southeast, Washington, DC.

On Friday, February 21, 2014, at approximately 6:15 pm, members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested 51 year-old Kevin McDarin Johnson of Southeast, Washington DC, pursuant to a DC Superior Court arrest warrant charging him with Murder Two in connection with the death of Detra Martin.

Detra Martin, 48, Killed Late Thursday Night in SE DC

Megan Arellano — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 17:17:50 -0500

A 48-year-old woman found unconscious late Thursday night was choked to death, MPD said Friday.

The woman, identified by police as Detra Martin, was transported to a local hospital from the 800 block of Southern Avenue Southeast. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital, and her death was ruled a homicide.

A press release from MPD is after the jump.

February 21, 2014

Homicide: 800 Block of Southern Avenue, SE

(Washington, DC) – Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch are investigating a homicide which occurred in the 800 block of Southern Avenue, SE.

On Thursday, February 20, 2014, at approximately 10:57 pm, members of the Seventh District responded to a call for an unconscious person in the 800 block of Southern Avenue, SE. Upon their arrival, the officers located an adult female lying inside the residence in an unconscious state. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived on the scene and transported the victim to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. The decedent was subsequently transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia, where the cause of death was ruled as asphyxia due to strangulation, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.

The decedent is identified as 48 year-old Detra Martin of Southeast, Washington, DC.

The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons wanted for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at (202) 727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411.