Ronnie Lee Johnson

Ronnie Lee Johnson, a 49-year-old White man, was a resident of Jacksonville, Florida. His life was cut short in a sudden act of violence in the winter of 2022, leaving a community to grapple with the loss.

On the morning of Sunday, February 13, 2022, Johnson arrived at his home on Monteau Drive on Jacksonville's Westside. It was around 9 a.m., and he was bringing packages into the house when an attacker ambushed him. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, someone came up behind Johnson and fired at least one shot. He fell to the ground inside his home and died at the scene. His wife had entered the house just moments before the shooting, and their son was asleep inside at the time.

Investigators with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office determined that the motive was not robbery, as nothing was demanded from Johnson or taken from the scene. Detectives believed the assailant was familiar with Johnson’s routine and had been “lying in wait” for him. Surveillance video from the area showed a man on a bicycle hiding nearby approximately 30 minutes before the shooting.

The day after the killing, police arrested Christopher Lee Thompson, who was 47 at the time. Sources identified Thompson as Johnson’s brother-in-law. He was booked into the Duval County jail and charged with second-degree murder and resisting arrest without violence.

As the case against Thompson proceeded, his mental state became a central issue. Both a defense psychologist and one hired by the state conducted mental competency evaluations. The two experts came to the same conclusion: Thompson did not appreciate the seriousness of the charge against him and was unable to assist in his own defense. In July 2022, a judge ruled Thompson was not competent for prosecution and remanded him to the custody of the Department of Children and Families for treatment. As of November 2022, he remained in treatment, with a mental competency review scheduled for the following January.