An Orange County jury found 33-year-old Tyrese Johnson guilty of First Degree Murder for fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend.
On June 24, 2023, the Orlando Police Department received a 911 call from the victim 50-year-old Joan Foster-Taylor saying she had been shot. However, she was unable to identify the shooter. She told police someone shot her as she was entering her apartment. Emergency personnel arrived at the scene and found Ms. Foster-Taylor in a bedroom. She was transported to Orlando Health where she later died from her injuries.
Orlando Police spoke with the victim’s roommate who confirmed Ms. Foster-Taylor had previously dated Tyrese Johnson. After their breakup, the roommate stated that both she and Ms. Foster-Taylor saw Johnson’s vehicle at the victim’s apartment complex during various hours of the day on multiple occasions.
There was also evidence to suggest Johnson broke into Ms. Foster-Taylor’s apartment. In response, the victim had her attic hatch adjusted and door locks changed.
Police obtained a search warrant for Johnson’s phone, which showed him near the scene where Ms. Foster-Taylor was shot at the time of the shooting.
Additionally, on the same night of the shooting, Johnson’s phone showed multiple searches of hospitals that treat gunshot wound patients. A couple of days later, his search history showed searches to include “Does Jesus want me to confess my sins to the police,” and “Tyrese Johnson Orlando, Fl wanted for murder”.
Voice memos recorded on his phone before the murder also showed obsessive behavior and jealousy of the victim and her dating other men. Johnson had multiple voice memos of various lengths, including some that were many hours long.
When police interviewed Johnson, he said he was mostly at his apartment the day of the murder but did go for a drive at some point but could not say where he went. Police obtained surveillance video from the victim’s apartment complex and a vehicle matching the description of Johnson’s vehicle was seen leaving shortly after the shooting. Tag readers also placed Johnson’s vehicle in the area near the time of the shooting.
After a four-day trial, a jury found Johnson guilty of First Degree Murder with a Firearm. The judge sentenced him to life in prison.
