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A New Yorker from Manhattan, following through on a heated Facebook diatribe, grievously attacked his younger sibling, whom he referred to as ‘little demon sister’, leading to her death within the family dwelling. This tragic event escalated from a longstanding familial discord, erupting into a violent episode on a seemingly typical morning.
According to law enforcement on Thursday, Rodney Johnson, 26, relentlessly inflicted knife wounds on Shayla Johnson, 20, around 8 a.m. on Wednesday. The incident took place inside their home at the Lincoln Houses in East Harlem, with the apprehension and arrest of the suspected brother following soon after at the scene, leading to his charges of murder.
In a Facebook post, the suspect had conveyed his mounting frustrations roughly five hours prior to the horrendous act, stating, ‘If y’all don’t hear from me again it’s because my so-called ‘family’ antagonized me.’
He continued expressing his hopelessness by saying ‘It’s been going on a while now and I officially reached the breaking point. It’s so much a person can take before they start doing thing(s) out of the ordinary.’
What spurred the unfortunate final act was reported by the victim’s friends to be a trivial household altercation. Apparently, Shayla had placed a pizza in the family’s oven in the kitchen, leading to objections from her brother, whose sleeping area abutted the kitchen, arguing about the generated heat.
Friends reported Shayla attributing her brother’s behavior to deep-seated issues, stating, ‘He’s crazy.’
Law enforcement officials arrived at the Madison Ave. structure near E. 131st St. to find Johnson waiting outside, ready to admit his horrendous act. The defendant had also confessed his crime to a 911 operator, prosecutors said, highlighting his apparent remorse and guilt.
Assistant District Attorney Arlyn Reed, during the arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, detailed the chilling scenario whereupon Johnson chased his sister throughout their apartment.
He continued to wound her until she could no longer move, all while their mother could do nothing but witness the fatal encounter. A bloodied knife was later found at the crime scene, as stated by the prosecutors.
Johnson’s social media rant claimed his family to be the ‘worse of worse’, assigning blame to his ‘little demon sister’ and their mother. ‘I will no longer be a part of this fake a—, non-loving, unaffectionate, back-stabbing, manipulative family.’
He also criticized his mother for what he perceived as a complete lack of care, including love, empathy, patience, honesty, and forgiveness.
Prosecutors drew attention to the suspect’s Facebook post during court proceedings. ‘The Facebook post last night revealed his anger with his family and cautioned that his Facebook friends likely wouldn’t hear from him again. He mentioned his breaking point,’ Reed reported.
The wounded sister, struck multiple times, was found inside the building. Despite immediate medical interventions, she was declared deceased upon reaching Harlem Hospital. According to authorities, she had sustained ‘at least 17 injuries’, including around six punctures.
A relative of a resident at the building, Justin Leckie, 55, expressed his disappointment at the fatal outcome. ‘She was a sweet girl,’ he said, describing their interactions. ‘We mostly heard about her when she was arguing with her brother. Their arguments would resonate through the building.’
Often, the altercations between the two siblings were intense, leading to one or the other repeatedly making distress calls to the police. They resided in the apartment with their mother.
The defendant’s previous record was brought to attention, revealing a conviction for criminal contempt and a prior domestic violence case for harassing another family member. He remained in custody without bail, awaiting his court appearance the following Monday.
Authorities noted an instance from August 2019 when Johnson was arrested for breaching a restraining order intended to protect his sister.
On Thursday, five prayer candles glowed outside the building, expressing the community’s mourning. Three of them bore the poignant message ‘Shay Love Forever’. A memorial honoring the victim was planned later in the day.
On hearing news of the murder, a close friend of Shayla arrived distressed at the victim’s dwelling. Her emotional outburst was calmed down by an elderly neighbour. ‘I saw her on Monday,’ the grief-stricken friend revealed. ‘She seemed happy, normal… She works at a daycare. She was like my sister.’
The elderly neighbor recollected calling Shayla by her nickname, ‘Shay Shay’, and how the demise of such a young life had left her devastated. The neighbor, whose daughter was Shayla’s godmother, mused, ‘She had the potential to be a model. Such a lovely girl… We all are heartbroken.’
Leckie characterized the accused as a ‘good guy’ and a basketball enthusiast who worked at the checkout in a local supermarket. ‘He keeps to himself,’ Leckie spoke of the brother’s daily routine. ‘You would see him going to the store or playing basketball. This is shocking… Who could have predicted such an event?’