A preliminary exam for alleged murderer Diabolique Johnson – who has been accused of homicide and an armed robbery – has been set in Wayne County Court for 11 a.m. April 8 before Judge Roberta Archer in 36th District Court.
Earlier this month Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, with the assistance of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Fair Michigan Justice Project (FMJP), charged Johnson, 24, of Indianapolis IN, in connection with a homicide and an armed robbery. (FMJP is a program that assists Michigan law enforcement officers and prosecutors in solving serious crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons.)
On September 1, 2020, it is alleged that Johnson committed an armed robbery of a 26-year-old Detroit man in a Dearborn hotel. It is alleged that the man had his personal property taken during the robbery. Johnson was charged with one count of Armed Robbery on September 21, 2020. Johnson was arraigned on this charge last Friday in the Third Circuit Court. His calendar conference date has been set for March 26 at 9 a.m. before Judge Regina Thomas.
On September 5, 2020 in Detroit, it is alleged that Johnson murdered a 39-year-old Detroiter during an armed robbery. Prosecutors have charged Johnson with one count of First-Degree Felony Murder and one count of Felony Firearm.
It is alleged that the victims in both cases were targeted on online dating apps because they were members of the LGBTQ community. More specific facts and evidence in the case will be placed on the record in court at the preliminary examination.
From September 1, 2020 until December 4, 2020, police officers from Dearborn, Detroit and Indianapolis IN conducted an investigation which led to Johnson’s arrest in Indianapolis. Defendant Johnson was extradited from Indiana and arrived in Michigan earlier this month. He was arraigned and remanded to jail on the Dearborn Armed Robbery case in 18th District Court in Dearborn on March 3, 2021. The defendant was arraigned on March 5, 2021 and remanded to jail in 36th District Court on the Detroit homicide case. His Probable Cause Conference was held last Thursday and the Preliminary Examination for the homicide case has been scheduled for April 8 at 11 a.m., before Judge Roberta Archer in 36th District Court.
In 2019, Nessel created a Hate Crimes Unit to investigate and prosecute hate crimes that include victims targeted based on race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender identity. As part of that initiative, Nessel has offered county prosecutors across the state assistance with their hate crimes prosecutions. This case represents the first joint undertaking between Nessel and Worthy in that effort.
“I was proud to stand with Prosecutor Worthy and the Fair Michigan Justice Project to announce the charges against this defendant. It is my hope that this case marks the beginning of a long partnership focused on providing justice to some of our most vulnerable communities,” Nessel said.
“It is my pleasure to announce that our recent agreement with Attorney General Dana Nessel will allow us to receive assistance from her office on FMJP cases. I am also pleased to announce that veteran Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor LaDonna Logan will be working with FMJP to prosecute these important cases,” said Worthy.
Fair Michigan President Alanna Maguire said, “It is troubling that the perpetrator of these vicious acts apparently used online dating apps to locate and target his victims. Michigan’s LGBTQ communities know that the Fair Michigan Justice Project, along with Michigan’s county prosecutors and law enforcement officials, stand ready to aggressively investigate and prosecute these brutal crimes.”
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