In the cold of February 2022, the life of 20-year-old Naasire Johnson was tragically cut short in Philadelphia. On February 17th, Johnson, a young Black man, took an Uber from his family's home in West Philadelphia to the Brewerytown residence of Kylen Pratt. The two were in a romantic relationship, a fact that prosecutors would later argue was the motive for the horrific events that followed.
Shortly after his arrival, Pratt shot Johnson in the neck.
The grim discovery of Johnson's body would not be made until February 20th, when his charred remains were found on a cobblestone trail in Fairmount Park. His family had reported him missing a week prior, and his grandmother had even held a vigil to raise awareness of his disappearance. The body was so badly burned that identification could only be made through DNA analysis. The medical examiner later determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the neck and ruled it a homicide.
An anonymous tip led investigators to focus on Kylen Pratt as a suspect. Cell phone records placed Pratt with Johnson at the time of the murder and in Fairmount Park where the body was dumped. A search of Pratt's home uncovered damning evidence, including carpet padding and hardwood flooring soaked in Johnson's blood, and a section of carpeting that had been recently bleached. Police also found the 9mm semi-automatic handgun used in the murder. Further investigation into Pratt's cell phone data revealed disturbing Google searches for news coverage of the discovery of Johnson's remains, as well as searches for 'traits of a psychopath,' 'having sex with dead bodies,' and 'killing in cold blood.'
Kylen Pratt was arrested on June 16, 2022, and charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and possession of an instrument of a crime. Prosecutors argued that the murder was a hate crime, stating that Pratt killed Johnson because he did not want anyone to know about their romantic involvement. On September 27, 2024, a jury convicted Pratt of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and possession of an instrument of a crime. He received a mandatory life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole.
