The son of former NFL player Kevin Johnson is seeking justice following his father’s death at a homeless encampment in Los Angeles, where four people have died in recent months.
Branden Johnson, 27, is urging law enforcement to resolve his father’s murder and improve safety in the Willowbrook area, where his father’s body was found.
“Let’s get justice back,” Branden expressed. “This is unfair to my father and to other victims there.”
Branden, a young security guard from Carson, shared that police have not provided much information regarding the circumstances surrounding his father’s death, which occurred on January 21 when Kevin was 55 years old.
Two detectives informed Branden that they were interviewing potential witnesses, but no suspects have been identified yet.
He mentioned the unsettling possibility that a serial killer might be linked to his father’s death and those of others at the South Los Angeles camp.
“I have no idea,” he admitted. “That’s what hurts the most.”
Authorities have confirmed that four individuals have died since October at the encampment along Compton Creek, an area connected to the Los Angeles River.
Alongside Kevin Johnson, Michelle Steele, 52, was shot in the head on October 5 and succumbed to her injuries on November 12. Police also reported that Octavio Arias, also 52, was discovered bludgeoned to death on December 4, while Mauro Alfaro, 52, was killed from blunt force trauma on January 26.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department stated that there is no new information available on the case as of Thursday.
Branden reflected on his father’s fall from professional athlete to homelessness, attributing it to injuries and unfortunate circumstances.
Kevin Johnson, a lifelong resident of Compton, was celebrated as a high school football star, later playing at Texas Southern, and went on to join teams like the Patriots, Vikings, Raiders, and Eagles.
After his NFL career, he served as a high school football coach in Pasadena for several years, according to Branden.
He worked part-time as a trainer until the early 2000s, but has not been employed much since then. A knee injury and memory issues, possibly from a head injury, hindered him in his final years, Branden added.
Despite these challenges, Kevin Johnson maintained a positive front. “My father was someone everyone looked up to,” Branden said. “He didn’t want them to see him as weak.”
Branden noted that his father had separated from his longtime girlfriend several years ago, leading to a period of instability where he stayed with friends and family.
About six months prior to his death, Kevin began occasionally sleeping at a homeless camp near his childhood neighborhood in Compton.
Branden believes that the police are working diligently but hopes for a speedy resolution to the case. “The situation looks bad there, especially with four deaths,” he remarked. “It’s never safe.”
