On the afternoon of New Year's Eve in 2021, a young man's life was cut short in a burst of violence on the streets of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Jermel Johnson, a 25-year-old male from the nearby community of Northampton, was shot around 1 p.m. at the intersection of 9th and Gordon Streets. He was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead that same day.
The Lehigh County Coroner's Office later confirmed that his death was a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting was a collaborative effort involving the Allentown Police Department, the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force, and the District Attorney of Lehigh County. Their work quickly pointed to a suspect, 25-year-old Joseph Warren Suydam of Allentown. Authorities alleged that the deadly encounter occurred during a transaction involving marijuana.
A little over a week later, on January 9, 2022, the manhunt for Suydam came to an end. U.S. Marshals located and apprehended him in Virginia. At the time of his capture, Suydam was also wanted on a parole violation in Lehigh County and for a felony charge of counterfeit currency. Following his arrest, Suydam awaited extradition back to Pennsylvania to face charges for the death of Jermel Johnson, which included first-degree felonies of homicide and illegal possession of a firearm.
