In the early morning hours of January 24, 2019, the quiet of a Trenton, New Jersey street was broken by the discovery of a grim scene. William Johenkins, a 45-year-old Black male, was found inside a silver minivan parked on the first block of Hanford Place. He had been shot in the face and was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities who responded to a call about a man shot in the head shortly before 12:45 a.m.
This violent act marked the first homicide of the year in the capital city.
The investigation into the death of William Johenkins led authorities to a suspect. In December 2019, Andreas Crews, then 37 and also from Trenton, was arrested in Burlington Township in connection with the murder. Following his arrest, a Mercer County grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Crews in February 2020. The charges included first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
At the time of the initial reports, law enforcement had not immediately made any arrests and the motive for the shooting was not released. The investigation was carried out by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force and the Trenton Police Department, which ultimately led to the charges against Crews. Following the indictment, Andreas Crews was held in the Mercer County Correction Center.
