On a cold winter day in Chicago, the body of 28-year-old Leslie Brown was discovered. It was January 11, 2010, when the young Black woman was found in a vacant, debris-filled building on the city's Far South Side, near 119th Street and Wentworth Avenue. She was wearing only socks, and a subsequent autopsy by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office determined that she had been strangled to death. The discovery marked the beginning of a long and complex journey for justice, not only for Leslie but for several other women in the area.
The investigation into Leslie’s homicide was handled by the Chicago Police Department. Detectives soon found a crucial piece of evidence: the DNA of an unknown male was recovered from her body. This genetic fingerprint was entered into law enforcement databases, which led to a significant breakthrough. The DNA profile matched that of Michael Johnson, a 30-year-old man with a history of violent offenses. Investigators discovered that Johnson was a suspect in a series of brutal attacks on women that occurred between 2008 and 2010, primarily in the Roseland and West Pullman neighborhoods.
The attacks shared a disturbing pattern. The victims, many of whom had histories of prostitution, were found partially or fully naked in abandoned buildings or other secluded locations. Johnson, who was missing three fingers on his right hand, was linked by DNA not only to Leslie's murder but to the murders of three other women and the attempted murder of another who survived. The survivor’s testimony would prove critical. She told authorities how she had been choked into unconsciousness, beaten, sexually assaulted, and thrown from a second-story balcony before being dragged to an alley and left for dead. Her identification of Johnson led directly to his arrest.
In March 2014, Michael Johnson was convicted for that savage attack and sentenced to 90 years in prison. The following year, he stood trial for the murder and sexual assault of Leslie Brown. Prosecutors argued that Johnson believed he had committed the "perfect crime" by targeting a woman whose lifestyle, he assumed, would involve multiple partners, making it impossible to trace any single DNA sample. However, the only DNA found on Leslie's body belonged to him. In July 2015, a jury found him guilty, and that September, a judge sentenced him to an additional 100 years in prison.
The verdict brought a sense of relief and sorrow to Leslie’s family. Her stepfather, Ricardo Pittman, told reporters he was "overwhelmed with joy and grief." He also noted the profound pain of Leslie's mother, who was a longtime employee of the Chicago Police Department and was devastated by her daughter's murder. For a time, it seemed as though Leslie's case was closed and her killer would spend the rest of his life behind bars for his crimes against her.
However, in a stunning turn of events, an Illinois appellate court reversed Michael Johnson's conviction for Leslie Brown's murder on October 5, 2018. The court ruled that while the DNA evidence proved Johnson had sexual contact with Leslie, it was not sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he was the person who had strangled her. As a result of this decision, Johnson's 100-year sentence for her murder was vacated.
As of late 2018, no one stands convicted of the murder of Leslie Brown. Her case is, from a legal standpoint, unsolved. Michael Johnson remains incarcerated, serving his 90-year sentence for the attempted murder and sexual assault of the woman who survived his attack. While he has been named a serial killer by prosecutors and linked to multiple violent crimes, the final chapter of justice for Leslie Brown has yet to be written.
