On April 4, 2016, 25-year-old Aleshia Schmincke Hill was found murdered in her Camden, New Jersey home alongside her 23-year-old fiancé, John Valerio. The couple had been shot at close range, and there were no signs of a forced entry into their residence. Hill was discovered in an upstairs bedroom, while Valerio's body was downstairs. In addition to the gunshot wound, Hill had also suffered blunt force trauma to her head.
The discovery was made by their landlord, who had come to the house to make a repair.
The evening before she was killed, Hill, a waitress, had enjoyed a girls' night with her mother, grandmother, and sister. Her mother dropped her off at the East Camden home she shared with Valerio. The couple had plans for the future; they were engaged and had intended to move to a new apartment in Pennsauken just two weeks later. Hill had already picked out her wedding dress. Concerns had been raised about Valerio's past, which included arrests on drug charges, and Hill's mother suspected he may have been selling drugs.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to a co-worker of Valerio. In August 2016, Gary Johnson was arrested and charged with two counts of murder. Prosecutors stated that Johnson and Valerio were acquainted from their shared workplace. The motive for the killings appeared to be robbery, as cellphones, cash, and Hill's engagement ring were stolen from the home.
In March 2019, while a jury was deliberating murder charges against him, Gary Johnson pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter. He admitted to fatally shooting both Aleshia Hill and John Valerio. Johnson was subsequently sentenced to a 40-year prison term for his role in the deaths of the young couple.
