On a cold January morning in Lafayette, Louisiana, the life of 53-year-old Joseph 'JoJo' Zenon, an African American male, was tragically cut short. On January 10, 2022, Zenon was shot and killed, marking the city's first homicide of the new year. The incident prompted an investigation by the Lafayette Police Department that would lead to arrests and the slow unraveling of the events that led to Zenon's death.
Following the shooting, authorities quickly moved to identify those they
believed to be responsible. Their investigation led them to a woman who was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with Zenon's murder. While her identity was not widely publicized in initial reports, the arrest marked a significant development in the case. As the legal process unfolded, another individual, Artimus Johnson, was also implicated. In April 2025, Johnson pleaded guilty to a charge of accessory after the fact in connection with Zenon's death. His plea resulted in a sentence of three years of hard labor, all of which was suspended.
The full scope of the circumstances surrounding Joseph Zenon's death and the motivations behind the crime have not been fully illuminated in public reports. The resolution of the case against the primary suspect remains a key element in understanding the entirety of the tragic event that took a beloved father, grandfather, and brother from his family and community.
