In the summer of 2021, on the evening of June 9th, the promising life of Norman 'Bud Cutz' Johnson III, a 21-year-old African American male, was tragically cut short. A young entrepreneur with dreams of opening his own barbershop, Johnson was found shot to death inside his apartment in Riverdale, Georgia, a community in Clayton County, part of the metro Atlanta area. His roommate made the grim discovery at their residence located on the 5000 block of Georgia Highway 85.
For nearly a year, the case grew cold, leaving his family grappling with unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss. They made public pleas for any information that could lead to a break in the case. Johnson's father expressed his belief that his son likely knew his killer, as there were no signs of forced entry into the apartment. He suspected an altercation had escalated with fatal consequences. A $5,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest, as Clayton County police continued their search for the person or people responsible.
After a thorough two-year investigation, a crucial tip from a member of Johnson's own family provided the breakthrough detectives needed. This new information pointed them toward Nicholas Lloyd Price, who was not only a childhood friend but also a former basketball teammate of Johnson. The investigation into Price then led authorities to a second suspect, Tremaine Jackson. Investigators determined that the motive for the murder was robbery.
In October 2023, Nicholas Lloyd Price was arrested and taken into custody at the Clayton County Sheriff's Office. He was charged with malice murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The search for the second suspect continued until March 2024, when Tremaine Jackson was located and arrested. He faced the same charges as Price in Clayton County, in addition to other charges in Cobb County. A grand jury in Clayton County had indicted both Price and Jackson on all charges in October 2023.
