On January 28, 2025, a visit to his daughter's home near Gadsden, Alabama, turned tragic for 72-year-old Michael McKenzie. He and his wife, Darla McKenzie, 68, both retired attorneys from Roswell, Georgia, were found shot to death inside the residence. The Etowah County Sheriff's Office responded to a 911 call from the couple's daughter and discovered the scene.
Michael McKenzie was pronounced dead at the location.
Within hours of the discovery, authorities arrested the couple's son-in-law, Christopher Scott Johnson, 38, and charged him with capital murder in connection with the double homicide. Johnson, who lived at the residence with his wife, was taken into custody and is being held without bail.
Michael McKenzie was a former Georgia Tech football player and a well-respected insurance lawyer who also dedicated significant time to pro bono work with the Innocence Project, where he helped exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals. His wife, Darla, was a retired real estate law partner at a prominent Atlanta firm. The couple was remembered as a vital and happy pair who enjoyed traveling and hiking. The case has proceeded to the legal system, with a preliminary hearing held for Johnson.
