Dying Man Names His Killer and the Stolen TV That Cost Him His Life

The Background: Key people: Demodrick Williams (victim, age 22) and Shovantae (also reported as Shovantae/Shovantae Trevone) Johnson (suspect, age 19 at the time). They knew each other and had a prior dispute. Williams accused Johnson of stealing his television. Motive: The shooting followed an argument tied to the stolen TV accusation. Williams identified this as the reason while receiving aid. The Crime: Date and location: September 5, 2014 (Friday evening), around 8:45–8:47 p.m., in the parking lot of the Falcon Cove Apartments/Townhomes (reported as 6500/6517/6541 Temple Avenue area), South Lubbock, Texas. Details: An argument lasting several minutes occurred involving Williams (in or near a black 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse with companions) and Johnson (armed with a revolver described as having a reddish-brown handle). Multiple shots were fired (witnesses reported hearing 2–6). Williams was hit in the left wrist (bone visible) and abdomen/waist area. A bullet damaged the vehicle’s back window. Johnson fled the scene on foot (described as heading north through the complex, last seen in gray sweatpants and black shoes). Williams was found on the ground, received on-scene aid, and was taken by ambulance to University Medical Center, where he died hours later on the operating table after surgery. No evidence of extensive premeditation or post-crime tampering (e.g., no body concealment or scene staging reported beyond the immediate flight). The Investigation: Suspect behavior: Johnson fled immediately after the shots. He was identified quickly via the victim’s statements and eyewitnesses. He was arrested/surrendered around September 7, 2014 (Sunday), and held at the Lubbock County Detention Center on a $1 million bond for first-degree felony murder. An interrogation occurred around September 10, 2014 (publicly available video exists); investigators noted inconsistencies between his account and other evidence gathered. Key evidence: Dying declaration from Williams identifying Johnson as the shooter and linking it to the stolen TV. Eyewitness accounts of the argument and Johnson firing multiple shots then fleeing. Physical evidence included blood in/on the Mitsubishi (front passenger area/door and nearby asphalt), damage consistent with a gunshot to the vehicle’s rear window, and statements from companions who were with Williams shortly before. Johnson was also facing a separate pending burglary of a habitation charge from an earlier incident. Inconsistencies: Crowd members initially reported hearing shots but not seeing the shooting; companions provided details of the confrontation. Later investigative follow-up (referenced in interrogation context) indicated mismatches with Johnson’s statements. Conviction and Sentencing: Indictment: A Lubbock County grand jury indicted Johnson on first-degree felony murder charges related to Williams’ death (reported around September 23–24, 2014). He remained in custody on the $1 million bond at that time. Publicly available verified court records and contemporary investigative reports (primarily local news from Lubbock outlets covering the arrest, warrant details, and indictment) do not detail a completed trial outcome, specific verdict, plea, or final sentence for this murder charge. Some later secondary references note uncertainty regarding conviction status. No confirmed TDCJ inmate records or sentencing announcements matching this specific case appear in accessible sources. (Johnson had a separate unrelated burglary matter noted as heading toward a plea around the same period.)