FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 26 Years to Life in Prison for
Murder and Dismemberment of Girlfriend
Defendant Lived with Victim’s Remains for Weeks,
Used Her Money to Pay Women Engaged in Prostitution
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 26 years to life in prison for murdering and dismembering his girlfriend. The defendant then stayed in her East New York apartment for weeks and used her money while her remains decomposed.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “D’Asia Johnson suffered horrific violence at the hands of this defendant, who then compounded that cruelty with conduct that showed a staggering disregard for her life, her dignity and the loved ones desperately searching for her. He has now been held accountable for that horrific brutality, and I hope D’Asia’s family can find some measure of solace and justice in today’s sentence.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Justin Williams, 27, of Manhattan. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun to 26 years to life in prison. He was convicted of second-degree murder, concealment of a human corpse, fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, second-degree criminal impersonation and fifth-degree welfare fraud on June 16, 2026, following a jury trial.
The District Attorney said that, according to the evidence, the defendant and the victim, D’Asia Johnson, 22, had been in a romantic relationship for several years. During that time, the defendant repeatedly abused her and at the time of her murder, Johnson was the protected party under an order of protection requiring Williams to stay away from her.
On August 21, 2022, Johnson entered her apartment on Linwood Avenue in East New York and never exited the apartment again. In the early morning hours of August 22, 2022, the defendant stabbed the victim numerous times — five times to the front of her torso and four times to the back, striking her heart and lung.
Furthermore, according to the evidence, Williams then dismembered Johnson’s body, placed her remains in garbage bags and kept them inside the apartment bathroom for nearly a month while her family and friends frantically searched for her. During that time, Williams continued living in the apartment and exploited Johnson financially, impersonating her to call out from her job so her paychecks would continue. The defendant used money from the victim’s bank account to pay women engaged in prostitution whom he brought into the apartment while Johnson’s remains decomposed nearby. The defendant also used Johnson’s public benefits to buy food for himself and brought his adolescent son into the apartment during this time.
When members of Johnson’s family came looking for her, the defendant pretended to be Johnson to conceal the fact that she was dead, the evidence showed. Johnson’s remains were ultimately discovered after building personnel, concerned because they had not seen her for some time, conducted a wellness check and contacted police.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Matthew Perry, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Ernest Chin, Deputy Bureau Chief, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Bureau Chief.
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