Found Deceased AZ - Angela Russo, 24, Maricopa, 19 April 2016 *Arrest*

[lesajo]

http://www.abc15.com/news/region-ce...-body-found-significant-evidence-of-foul-play

This link says family states arrest made and names him. Yet claims not confirmed by jail records.

 

[Paulas88]

http://www.abc15.com/news/region-ce...-body-found-significant-evidence-of-foul-play

This link says family states arrest made and names him. Yet claims not confirmed by jail records.

Wow, that was fast. Apparently he was already in jail on a unrelated crime. I wonder if she did indeed meet him on a online dating site

 

[ms_x_to_the_m]

Hmmm trying to figure out if it's male or female.
I can't wait to hear what the story behind this tragedy is.

All MOO!

 

[0101ABA]

Sunday evening, Maricopa County Detective Doug Matteson said 25-year-old Lashawn Johnson was already i custody on unrelated charges but was rebooked Sunday on a first degree murder charge for Russo's death.

(...) Matteson said detectives were still working with investigators from the Maricopa Police Department to investigate the possible relationship between Johnson and Russo.

http://www.abc15.com/news/region-ce...-body-found-significant-evidence-of-foul-play

 

[0101ABA]

I was trying to see what he was already in custody for and if the pic above was a current mugshot (or even a mug shot at all), but the Maricopa jail inmate search page keeps timing out my search. Someone else may have better luck than I have.

You can search here: https://www.mcso.org/JailInformation/InmateInformation.aspx

His date of birth is June 6, 1990.

 

[OkieGranny]

Looks like she did meet him online:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/missing...o-who-vanished-after-online-date-found-slain/

Angela Russo had been missing since April 19, after reportedly meeting her suspected killer for a date in West Phoenix...

Russo's cause of death hasn't yet been released.

http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/149055460-story

Alvarado went on to say that there was significant evidence of foul play at the scene where Russo’s body was found.

 

[lesajo]

Wife of suspect charged claims he is innocent and that they both know who the real killer is. MCSO says they have enough to charge him with first degree murder.

http://www.abc15.com/news/region-ph...e-defends-man-charged-in-angela-russos-death-

I haven't heard if they found her car or her phone??

 

[OkieGranny]

Her car was found burned, same location. I don't know about her phone.

 

[kimi_SFC]

Lashawn Johnson update: Wife defends man charged in Angela Russo's death
8 hours ago

[...]
Johnson’s wife claims detectives got the wrong guy and she’s defending her husband’s innocence on the Facebook page dedicated to helping find Russo.

Before her posts disappeared, Brittany Johnson wrote her husband was cheating, but claims he knows who the real killer is and so does she. Johnson says he is working with detectives on the case.

Detectives say the evidence tells a different story. It's what led them to Johnson, who was already in jail on a misdemeanor charge for not showing up for court in an unrelated assault case according to court documents.

"We have enough to charge him with first degree murder and we do believe he is the main suspect," said Maricopa County Sheriff’s Detective Doug Matteson.

Court records show Brittany Johnson had her marriage to Lashawn annulled though she claims they are still together.

Russo’s family says she met Johnson through online dating.

Embedded video & More@Link

http://www.abc15.com/news/region-ph...e-defends-man-charged-in-angela-russos-death-



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lesajo]

He says he made a mistake.........pretty much an admission.
Article mentions another person who he lived with and aware of the crime, yet I can't see if they are or will be charged?
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-ce...h-says-he-made-a-mistake-will-pray-for-family

 

[lesajo]

http://www.azfamily.com/clip/124756...for-murder-after-missing-womans-body-is-found


http://www.azfamily.com/story/32103...n-missing-womans-death-says-he-made-a-mistake

Lots of new info here......RIP angela.
He says he would rather do twenty years than face death penalty! Charged with second degree murder

 

[Nchadwickaz]

Been watching this case unfold, here locally and so confused...


Here is the latest, with at video of his initial appearance

Defendant Lashawn Young Johnson, Dob 06/05/1990

Victim is Ashley Russo, 24 years old

Defendant's Wife/exwife - Brittany Johnson ?

Defendant's live in girlfriend ..Claudia Martinez Dob 11/04/1972 (guessing more charges soon)


Been watching this story and very sad. This guy, in my opinion should have been put away a long time ago -- just the little research I did on it -- between 2011 and present, he has had 9 mugshots -- in Arizona 8 ( in 4 different counties) and 1 in Tennessee. Quite a few dealing with domestic violence and disorderly conduct. In fact, he was out on a 10K bond in a current case after he signed a plea and was awaiting sentencing, scheduled for 06/13/2016, when this happened to this poor girl. Below is the link to the case

http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.g...rtCases/caseInfo.asp?caseNumber=CR2015-137017


I'm not sure why, a judge looking at the same info would not be able to see this guy was violent, career criminal who was obviously escalating -- It shouldn't a family loosing their daughter to prove it.

Oddly, the wife/exwife of his came out on social media defending him. Which confused me since her name was different then the live in girlfriend that was released to the public today ( who works for the arizona dept of corrections? ..and then he was online dating when he lured Angela Russo?

 

[lesajo]

I agree with everything you said. It's very confusing, many players, who did what, who knew what and when, who concealed what, who's being charged with what etc....?????
Odd relationships......poor Angela, didn't know . And I completely agree he shouldn't have been out on bond with a violent charge awaiting sentencing, but that's our system I guess. :tantrum: Doesn't seem safe, proved not to be. At least now he has 1,000,000.00 dollar bond!!!
Also noticed he was originally being charged with first degree, but officially charged with second degree in above video. Will continue to see how this unfolds. Sad

 

[lesajo]

Omg, disgusting, he had a fake online profile.....said he was single, said he was in military. Even had pic of him in fatigues. Danger Danger......online dating.

http://www.abc15.com/news/region-ce...rtbreak-as-caution-when-meeting-people-online

 

[cvaldez1975]

jerk.

I was never one to date online but I NEVER met up w any man at their home early on. always public.

 

[Nchadwickaz]

Lashawn Johnson update: Bail bondsmen say he turned himself in to them on unrelated

He was very difficult to find. He had lots of different girlfriends all over it seems he could pick up and be all over the place

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Family of Maricopa murder victim get tattoos in her honor; trial delayed

http://www.pinalcentral.com/maricopa_monitor/news/family-of-maricopa-murder-victim-get-tatoos-in-her-honor/article_5894f136-2bd6-52f7-955d-793ee650d630.html

Lashawn Johnson, the 26-year-old charged in her killing, was scheduled to stand trial beginning Feb. 9, but that date was canceled during what should have been his final pretrial hearing on Thursday.

Johnson was already in jail for unrelated charges when he was additionally charged with Russo’s death. He now faces one count each of second-degree murder, abandonment or concealment of a dead body, theft of a means of transportation and arson.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety crime lab was unable to test DNA samples in the case in time for trial. According to prosecutor Gregg Thurston, the DNA will not be tested until March 31.

With that in mind, Judge David Cunanan vacated the trial date and ordered parties to return for a status update on April 4. He expects to be reset the trial then.

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

New trial date set for Maricopa murder suspect

http://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/area_news/new-trial-date-set-for-maricopa-murder-suspect/article_8efebe4c-fb6f-5a8d-ba7d-7ad0cc149303.html

LaShawn Johnson, 26, is facing a second-degree murder charge for the death of 25-year-old Angela Russo. He was arrested shortly after Russo’s body was discovered in the desert in May 2016, more than a month after she was reported missing.

Last week, Johnson’s murder trial was rescheduled to start Sept. 12 in Maricopa County Superior Court. The original February trial date was canceled after DNA evidence was not processed in time.

Vigil held to celebrate Russo's birthday

 

[JusticeWillBeServed]

Maricopa murder suspect re-indicted

http://www.pinalcentral.com/maricopa_monitor/news/maricopa-murder-suspect-re-indicted/article_d246b6dc-f80a-5b19-888b-108a633e1a8e.html

Diana Schalow may have to wait longer to see the man accused of killing her daughter stand trial, but she doesn’t mind.

That’s because the defendant, 27-year-old LaShawn Johnson, has been re-indicted on more severe charges. He was scheduled to go to trial next week for the second-degree murder of Angela Russo.

But prosecutors recently obtain a new indictment in Maricopa County, charging Johnson with first-degree murder.

 

[iulia]

https://ktar.com/story/2246847/arizona-man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-2016-murder/

PHOENIX — An Arizona man was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the murder of a 24-year-old Maricopa woman that occurred more than two years ago.

Amanda Steele, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, said in an email that 28-year-old Lashawn Johnson was sentenced for first-degree murder, theft of means of transportation, arson and abandonment or concealment of a dead body.