NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Former gang member-turned-criminal justice reform activist Sheldon Johnson is accused of shooting his childhood friend, whom he served prison time with, during a dispute about money and then dismembering the body.
Johnson, 48, was arrested at 10 a.m. on March 7 and charged with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
He is accused of shooting Collin Small, 44, in the head before chopping up the body.
Smalls’ torso was found in his Bronx apartment in Highbridge, not far from Yankee Stadium, after a wellness check led to a search warrant being obtained for the home.
Pieces of Smalls’ body were discovered in multiple locations during the police investigation into the alleged murder.
“We recovered [a] blue bin, with body parts, we also recovered body parts in the freezer,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said during a press conference on Wednesday.
According to Kenny, Smalls was shot in the head while he and the defendant fought about money. Family members allege that Johnson stole from Smalls, leading to the altercation.
“We have two shots, then a pause, and then two more shots. And during the pause, ear witnesses tell us they hear ‘Please, I have a family.’ And then he shot,” Kenny said.
In addition to the body parts, police recovered a kilo press from Smalls’ apartment and hacksaw blades from Johnson’s car, which was parked not far from his Harlem home.
The defendant pleaded not guilty during his arraignment and is being held without bail.
Johnson and Smalls met as children in Harlem, and later were prison mates at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossing, NY.
Johnson, a former gang member, went on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on Feb. 1 and discussed his realization that he needed to change his life after prison. At the time, he was a criminal justice reform advocate and was working with at risk youth at the Queens Defenders.