A 21-year-old Florida man accused of taking part in the kidnapping and killing of 22-year-old Eddrick Bethune was reportedly friends with the victim, with multiple photographs circulating online showing the two together.
Police arrested Devorise Carl Johnson on Oct. 14 after leaving the hospital, where he received treatment for gunshot wounds sustained during an alleged break-in and shootout at a North Miami apartment.
Investigators say Johnson and four other men abducted Bethune, entered his apartment, and later took him to an area of Southwest Miami-Dade, where authorities found him dead.
According to WSVN, Johnson faces multiple felony charges, including first-degree murder, kidnapping, attempted first-degree murder, armed robbery, armed burglary, and falsely impersonating a police officer.
The case began late Oct. 3 at the Aliro Apartments on Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami.
Investigators allege Johnson and four other men arrived at the complex and waited for Bethune to leave the building. Around midnight, Bethune walked into the parking lot, where the group approached in a gray Toyota Camry fitted with flashing red and blue lights.
Two of the men wore black clothing marked with the word “POLICE” on the back. They allegedly presented themselves as officers, ordered Bethune to the ground, and handcuffed him. The men then took his apartment keys and cellphone, authorities said.
Investigators Seek Answers Men In Police Gear Abduct 22-Year-Old Miami Man on Video
Johnson and two other men allegedly used Bethune’s keys to enter his apartment, where another person was inside. Surveillance footage reportedly showed two of the men moving toward the bedrooms while a third pointed a firearm toward a sofa in the living room.
The person inside the apartment armed himself with an AK-47-style rifle when he encountered Johnson, according to investigators. The two exchanged gunfire, striking Johnson multiple times.
Authorities said Johnson and the other men continued shooting before escaping through a third-floor bedroom window.
Videos captured the dramatic escape. A neighbor’s cellphone footage reportedly showed men jumping from the apartment window after the shooting. Another recording captured the sound of roughly a dozen gunshots at the complex.
As reported by Local 10 News, investigators also said Johnson left blood on the apartment’s floors, walls, curtains, blinds, and broken window glass following the altercation.
After the gunfight unfolded inside, two men who remained outside allegedly forced Bethune into the back seat of the Camry as he tried to get away. The other men later dropped Johnson off at Jackson North Medical Center for treatment, while they continued driving with Bethune.
The group allegedly drove to the area of Southwest 216th Street and Southwest 189th Avenue in the Redlands, where investigators say they shot Bethune multiple times.
A Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office captain discovered his body along the roadside around 7:25 a.m. on Oct. 4. An autopsy determined that Bethune died from gunshot wounds, and officials ruled his death a homicide.
Authorities later found the Camry near Southwest 248th Street and Southwest 157th Avenue. Investigators said someone had set the vehicle on fire in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence following Bethune’s killing.
Johnson remained hospitalized until his discharge on Oct. 14. Investigators took him to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau for questioning.
After authorities advised him of his rights, he invoked his right to have an attorney present, according to the arrest report. They then booked him into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Following Johnson’s identification as a suspect, multiple photos of him and Bethune began circulating online, appearing to show the two together and suggesting they shared a close relationship.
Authorities have not publicly identified the other four suspects or confirmed whether any of them have been taken into custody.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the charges against Johnson are allegations; the case has not been resolved in court.
