Allen Johnson

Allen Dexter Johnson, a 49-year-old disabled U.S. Navy veteran and minister from Daytona Beach, Florida, was remembered by loved ones for his service to his country and his faith. Born in December 1967, his life was cut short in a violent encounter on a Saturday morning, leaving a community in mourning and sparking a multi-state manhunt for his killer.

On the morning of March 4, 2017, Johnson was in his red 2016 Nissan Altima on the 600 block of Eldorado Street, near Bethune-Cookman University. An altercation broke out, and another man fired several shots into Johnson's car. Despite being wounded, Johnson managed to drive away. As he drove, two other men who were in the car with him jumped out of the moving vehicle and fled; police later identified them as witnesses. Johnson continued for about four blocks before crashing his car in front of a home in the 800 block of Magnolia Avenue around 7:30 a.m. When Daytona Beach Police officers arrived, they found him in the driver's seat. Emergency medical personnel provided treatment at the scene, but he was pronounced dead minutes later. Investigators found multiple bullet holes in the car and recovered at least 10 evidence markers from the initial scene on Eldorado Street.

The Daytona Beach Police Department quickly identified a suspect in the shooting. The day after the murder, they issued a warrant for the arrest of Michael Henderson on a charge of first-degree murder. Police announced that the confrontation between Johnson and Henderson may have been related to drugs. Henderson, who had a criminal record that included charges of drug possession, sexual battery, and possession of a firearm by a felon, was considered armed and dangerous. Authorities alerted the public that he might be driving a dark-colored Ford Expedition and began an intensive search.

The manhunt for Henderson lasted two weeks. On March 14, 2017, U.S. Marshals located him at a residence in Douglasville, Georgia. When law enforcement moved in to arrest him, Henderson attempted to resist and barricaded himself inside the home. He was ultimately taken into custody without further incident. "He’s a coward," Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri said after the arrest. "He ran and now he’s in custody. The community is safe and that’s the most important thing." Authorities then began the process of extraditing Henderson back to Volusia County, Florida, to face the murder charge.

In April 2017, a grand jury indicted Michael Henderson for first-degree murder in the death of Allen Johnson. Court records show that Henderson pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of second-degree murder with a firearm in February 2019. As a result of his plea, he was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 30 years in a Florida state prison. He was also given credit for the 699 days he had already served in jail since his arrest.

While the legal proceedings brought a measure of closure, the community continued to grieve the loss of Allen Johnson. A visitation was held at Mt. Mission Missionary Baptist Church, and his funeral service took place at New Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church on March 11, 2017, where family and friends gathered to honor the memory of the veteran and minister.

As of February 2019, the criminal case against Michael Henderson is closed. He is currently serving his sentence in the Florida Department of Corrections, with a projected release date in the year 2047. The case is considered solved by litigation.