In the early hours of March 5, 2024, the life of 44-year-old Collin Small was brought to a violent and tragic end inside his sixth-floor apartment in the Highbridge section of the Bronx. A neighbor reported hearing two gunshots around 1 a.m., followed by a man's plea, 'Please don't, I have a family,' and then two more shots. This desperate cry would be the last words anyone would hear from Small.
A wellness check later that day, prompted by the building's superintendent, led to a gruesome discovery and the beginning of a shocking murder investigation.
When officers from the New York Police Department entered Small's residence, they were met with a horrific scene. Small's dismembered torso and feet were found stored in a freezer and a blue bin. The cause of death was determined to be a single gunshot to the head. The investigation quickly focused on one individual, 48-year-old Sheldon Johnson Jr., who was present in the apartment when the police arrived. Surveillance footage captured Johnson repeatedly entering and exiting the apartment, at times wearing different clothing, including a blond wig and even the victim's own outfit. He was also seen carrying cleaning supplies and the same blue bin where some of Small's remains were later found.
The subsequent investigation uncovered a disturbing connection between the victim and the accused. Johnson and Small had been childhood friends who grew up together in Harlem and had even served time together in prison. The motive for the brutal slaying is believed to be a dispute over money. The search for the rest of Small's remains led investigators to Johnson's own apartment in Harlem, where they discovered the victim's head, legs, and one of his arms in a freezer.
Sheldon Johnson Jr., a man who had publicly positioned himself as a criminal justice activist after being released from prison in May 2023, was arrested and charged with Small's murder. He faces a litany of charges, including murder, manslaughter, weapon possession, and concealment of a human corpse. Johnson, a former member of the Bloods gang, had previously served 25 years of a 50-year sentence for attempted murder during a robbery. Despite his claims of rehabilitation and his work with a public defender's office, he now stands accused of a crime of unimaginable brutality. While being led from the police precinct, Johnson proclaimed his innocence. He was arraigned and held without bail. In April 2024, a grand jury indicted Johnson on two counts of first-degree murder and numerous other charges related to the death of Collin Small. He is due back in court in June 2024.
