Marcus Denzel Johnson, a young man remembered for his love of family and basketball, was 20 years old when his life was cut short in Newark, Delaware. A graduate of Sarah Pyle Academy, where he enjoyed subjects like English, math, and science, Marcus had also attended Newark High School. He had worked at both Lowe's and Home Depot and cherished the time he spent with his family, friends, and his girlfriend, Fatu Smith. His family included his mother, Arlette B. Johnson Williams, his late father, Michael R. Johnson Sr., and his brothers, Michael and Marcel. Those who loved him recalled his favorite pastime was playing basketball with his friends.
The evening of November 13, 2014, ended in tragedy in the parking lot of a KFC restaurant at 1365 Marrows Road in Newark. At approximately 6:13 p.m., police were called to the scene for a report of a shooting. They arrived to find Marcus Johnson, a Black male, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and in cardiac arrest.
Officers from the Amtrak Police Department were first on the scene and began performing CPR before paramedics arrived. Marcus was rushed to Christiana Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The Newark Police Department investigation soon revealed the shooting was the result of what they described as a botched, drug-related robbery. According to police statements, Marcus and three other individuals had gone to the KFC parking lot that evening with the intention of robbing an acquaintance. During the confrontation, Marcus, who was armed with a semi-automatic rifle, was shot by an unknown individual. His rifle was later recovered by police at the scene.
As Marcus lay dying, his three alleged co-conspirators fled. Within days, the Newark Police Department identified and arrested them. They were identified as 21-year-old Dariel T. Pankins, 17-year-old Isaac Chattin, and 17-year-old Karel Blalock. All three were charged with robbery, attempted robbery, conspiracy, and weapons offenses. Pankins and Blalock faced additional charges of possession of a firearm by a person prohibited. Pankins was committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on $252,000 bail, while Chattin and Blalock were held at the New Castle County Detention Center on bails of $82,000 and $102,000, respectively.
While arrests were made in connection with the robbery plot, the person who fired the fatal shots at Marcus Johnson was not immediately apprehended. In the initial phase of the investigation, detectives announced they were searching for several men who had fled the KFC parking lot in a dark, four-door sedan. The investigation into identifying the shooter was described as ongoing.
A funeral service to celebrate Marcus's life was held on November 21, 2014, at Ezion Fair Baptist Church in Wilmington, followed by his burial at All Saints Cemetery in Newark. His family, including his mother, brothers, grandmother Geraldine Melton, and great-grandmother Mary Hayes, was left to mourn the sudden and violent loss.
As of the latest available information from November 2014, the homicide of Marcus Johnson remains officially unsolved. While his associates were charged for their alleged roles in the robbery, no suspect has ever been publicly named or arrested for his murder. The Newark Police Department asked anyone with information regarding the shooting or the individuals in the dark sedan to contact them. Anonymous tips could be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.
