Brother speaks out on Cape Coral man indicted for first-degree murder, accused of killing his mother
By Edward Franco, WBBH Staff
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FORT MYERS, Fla. (WBBH) — The State Attorney’s Office announced a grand jury indictment Tuesday afternoon against a man accused of killing his mother after stabbing her more than 100 times in her Cape Coral home on Sept. 16.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, the Lee County Grand Jury returned an indictment against Devin Johnson on the charge of first-degree murder, aggravated abuse of an elderly person or disabled adult, fleeing and eluding law enforcement officers and driving with a suspended license.
Anthony Johnson, Devin’s brother, said, “It’s not that surprising. It is sad. I do think that no matter what, my brother will continue to plead innocent.” He explained that they were raised in a troubled home where both his brother and their mother suffered abuse. “It’s on the heels of 40 years of violence in our family that has several domestic abusers, and it’s really sad,” he said.
Johnson’s mother, Rosemary Johnson, was found dead in her Cape Coral home, suffering from more than 100 stab wounds, lacerations to her face and neck, and bruising on her neck, according to a detective.
Two knives used in the attack were found on Jacaranda Parkway.
Anthony Johnson expressed his conflicted feelings, saying, “I am of the view that he did the crime on a material basis, and it sucks, to put it lightly and put it in polite terms. But I still love him, and I do seek justice for my mom. And I also seek a fair trial for my brother.”
A Lee County grand jury indicted Devin Johnson on a first-degree murder charge, a felony that could result in life imprisonment or the death penalty. Anthony Johnson said, “I’m not opposed to the death penalty in spite of loving them, because it’s a fair punishment. If he’s found guilty after due process for the crime he committed, particularly due to severity.”
Collier County deputies arrested Devin Johnson in North Naples as he was accused of attempting to flee.
According to investigators, Johnson was chased down to US-41 near Immokalee Road, where deputies threw stop sticks at his car. Johnson is then accused of getting out, running, and trying to take a gun and a Taser from deputies. A K-9 was released to get him, and deputies accuse Johnson of trying to choke the dog.
Detectives said Johnson bought a ticket to Costa Rica and may have been trying to leave the country, investigators said.
The State Attorney’s Office held a news conference at its Fort Myers office to announce grand jury indictments in three separate murder cases.
State Attorney Amira Fox expressed her hopes for the indictment, saying, “These were very targeted and very violent attacks in each of these cases, and we will be seeking justice on behalf of the victims, their families and their friends.”
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