Nationwide — Darryl Lamar Collins, a 55-year-old man from Los Angeles, California, reportedly killed his girlfriend, Fatima Johnson, just under a year after being released for two previous murders. He is now sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Johnson, 53, a mother of six and grandmother of eight, was found dead in her South Los Angeles apartment in July 2021. Her daughters and best friend discovered her body wrapped in a blanket, with shoelaces and duct tape restraining her. Authorities said she died from asphyxia caused by neck pressure and possible smothering.
Johnson worked at a nursing home and was studying to earn her nursing license. Within hours of her death, Collins pawned two of her necklaces and sold her Lexus to buy drugs, according to ABC 7 News.
Collins had a violent history. In 1995, he was convicted of two separate murders and served 25 years behind bars. Changes to California’s “youthful offender” parole laws allowed him to serve only half his sentence, leading to his release less than a year before Johnson’s killing.
L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman emphasized the danger Collins posed. “Darryl Collins took three innocent lives. Today’s sentence isn’t just about punishment, it’s also about protection from this sociopath to ensure he will never walk free again,” Hochman said.