Aleah Rose Johnson, a 23-year-old woman from Windsor Heights, died after she was shot in Des Moines on the night of September 5, 2022. At approximately 11:30 p.m., Des Moines police officers were called to Iowa Methodist Medical Center after Johnson arrived in a private vehicle with a serious gunshot wound. The people who brought her to the hospital left soon afterward, leaving investigators to determine where the shooting had occurred and who had been with her during the final moments before
she was wounded. Despite efforts to save her, Johnson died at the hospital.
Investigators determined that the shooting had taken place elsewhere in Des Moines while Johnson was riding in a vehicle with several other people. Police believed she was inside the vehicle with Malik Deangelo Henderson, Kha'len Richard Price Williams and a fourth person when Henderson discharged a firearm, striking her. Officers recovered a gun during the investigation, and the circumstances surrounding the hospital drop-off helped police trace the vehicle and identify those believed to have been involved. Authorities described the investigation as unusually swift, with arrests occurring within roughly eight hours of the shooting.
Henderson, who was 22 at the time, was initially charged with second-degree murder, possession of a firearm as a felon and possession of marijuana. Police identified him as the person who fired the shot that killed Johnson. Price Williams, then 24, was also arrested and initially charged with possession of a firearm as a felon and marijuana possession. Although Price Williams was not accused of firing the fatal shot, prosecutors alleged that he played a role in what happened afterward.
The case changed significantly before it could proceed to a murder trial. Henderson accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, reckless use of a firearm and possession of a firearm as a felon. The reduction from second-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter reflected the negotiated resolution of the case rather than a jury finding that Johnson had been intentionally murdered. Prosecutors and Henderson's attorneys jointly recommended a total prison sentence of 20 years, along with $150,000 in restitution.
Price Williams entered an Alford plea to one count of accessory after the fact. Through that type of plea, he did not formally admit guilt but acknowledged that prosecutors possessed enough evidence to potentially convict him at trial. Under his agreement, the firearm and marijuana charges originally filed against him were dismissed. The parties recommended that he receive the maximum two-year sentence available for the accessory charge, as well as a monetary fine.
Johnson's death was recorded as Des Moines' 13th homicide of 2022. Away from the courtroom and police investigation, she was remembered as an adventurous, loyal and warmhearted person whose laughter and personality affected those around her. She was described as a devoted friend, a hardworking employee and someone who readily helped others. She left behind two young children, along with her parents, siblings, extended family and a wide circle of friends. Days after her death, those who loved her gathered for a candlelight vigil at Union Park, mourning a life abruptly ended inside a vehicle and seeking comfort as the criminal cases moved toward their negotiated conclusions.
