Former NFL Player Kevin Johnson's Death Investigated as Homicide, Linked to Series of Killings

Kevin Johnson, a former NFL defensive lineman, aged 55, was found deceased in a Los Angeles homeless encampment on January 21, 2024. His death, attributed to blunt head trauma and stab wounds, is being investigated as a homicide.

His death, attributed to blunt head trauma and stab wounds, is being investigated as a homicide and is being examined for potential connections to at least three other homicides involving homeless individuals in the same vicinity of South Los Angeles.

The investigation is also examining potential connections to at least three other homicides involving homeless individuals in the same vicinity of South Los Angeles.

Discovery and Homicide Investigation

Johnson was discovered unconscious at an encampment near a flood control channel in the Willowbrook area of South Los Angeles. Paramedics pronounced him deceased at the scene. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office later identified the cause of death as blunt head trauma and stab wounds.

Investigators suspect Johnson had been experiencing homelessness and residing in the encampment. The specific location was identified as near Compton Creek at 120th Street and Elva Avenue.

Series of Related Homicides in Willowbrook

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating Johnson's death in connection with a series of other homicides in the Willowbrook community. Between October and January, three additional homeless individuals were found deceased in encampments along East 120th Street in the same vicinity.

All four victims, including Johnson, resided in encampments, and their cases remain unsolved. Homicide investigators are actively pursuing leads and collaborating with homeless outreach workers. The department has requested public assistance with any information regarding these killings. Separately, an additional homicide was reported on January 26 at a similar location, a riverbed along 120th Street, where a victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kevin Johnson's NFL Career and Later Life

Born on October 30, 1970, in Los Angeles, Kevin Johnson was a defensive lineman who began his professional football career in 1993. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round.

Johnson later played for the Philadelphia Eagles starting in 1995, where he recorded 19 tackles, six sacks, and a touchdown on a fumble recovery in 11 games during his first season with the team. In his second season with the Eagles, he had one sack and 24 combined tackles in 12 games. Johnson concluded his NFL career after one season with the Oakland Raiders and subsequently played in the Arena Football League. Friends of Johnson have indicated that the former professional football player may have been experiencing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition associated with repeated head injuries.