A criminal justice advocate who boasted about turning his life around after getting out of prison — making appearances on shows and Joe Rogan's podcast — was arrested on murder charges Thursday, accused in a brutal killing that stunned a Bronx neighborhood.
A wellness check Tuesday night led to the gruesome discovery of a man dismembered in an apartment on Summit Avenue in Highbridge, according to police. Officers found a human torso and a foot in a plastic bin.
Police officials said a concerned neighbor reported hearing gunshots from the unit and saw a man coming and going from the building multiple times through the night, carrying various cleaning supplies. Surveillance footage from outside the apartment's front door showed a man carrying the cleaning items as well as a full black garbage bag.
The suspect was identified as Sheldon Johnson, who previously spent 25 years in prison for attempted murder when he was a high-ranking member of the Bloods gang. In his time since being released from prison, the 48-year-old had spent his time working with the Queens Defenders office, talking about his efforts to reform himself and help other kids detach themselves from gang life.
He was a guest on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast in February, where he talked about his time in prison.
"Prison does two things to you: It brings out the best or it brings out the worst," Johnson said at the time.
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Law enforcement sources told NBC New York that after seeing Johnson on surveillance footage, they searched his apartment and found the victim’s legs, arms and head in the freezer. He was arrested and charged with murder, manslaughter and weapon possession.
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While being led out of the police precinct in handcuffs, Johnson shouted to reporters, saying "I'm innocent."
A cause of death for the victim, identified as 44-year-old Collin Small, has not yet been determined by the medical examiner.
According to sources, it's possible there had been a dispute between Small and Johnson stemming from the time they spent in prison together.
The Queens Defenders office did not respond to requests for comment.
An investigation is ongoing.
