[music playing]
MAN: Listen.
Why would somebody,
specifically--
WOMAN: Mm-hmm.
--put you near that
victim when he was killed?
I just think--
I really don't know.
I wasn't over there.
NARRATOR: Getting
a suspect to talk
can be the most difficult part
of a homicide investigation.
For these New
Orleans detectives,
it may be their only chance
to solve the brutal murder
of 24-year-old Rodney Johnson.
All this stuff that
you're feeding us right
now is a bunch of bull [muted].
But he was with you up
until the point he was killed.
You saw the whole thing.
[crying]
[music playing]
ROB BARRERE: So
we're heading uptown.
From what we gathered,
there is a male victim
shot to death in broad
daylight behind a church,
which is pretty brazen,
even for New Orleans.
Usually, a church, you know,
represents a safe place,
a place of worship.
The victim was where
this brick is at.
There just was a little thing
of blood here in the grass.
TANISHA SYKES: He was hit
four times in the head,
twice at the back and
three times over here,
almost like an execution.
ROB BARRERE: Right now, we
don't have much to go on,
the [inaudible] who [inaudible]
here in the neighborhood who
saw this, or at least saw maybe
someone run from the scene,
saw something.
It's very important
to find a witness.
We need one right now.
[dog barks]
You hear anything
or see anything?
NARRATOR: Detectives speak
with neighbors and get a lead.
TANISHA SYKES: The
witness said the victim
was walking with a female.
She seen them come,
walking up the street.
And when they got to the church,
they turned into the alley.
NARRATOR: Moments
later, gunshots
erupted behind the church.
[dramatic music]
And the witness saw the woman
flee with a different man.
TANISHA SYKES: I want to
find out who this girl is.
Maybe I can get
her, and break her,
and then maybe we could
have something to go on.
DESHAWN JOHNSON:
It's like a shock.
I still don't believe it.
I know my son.
I'm not going to picture
him as a perfect person.
He had problems in the past.
He even been to jail.
But he has a beautiful heart.
He didn't deserve
to die like that.
He was somebody's child.
He was my child.
TANISHA SYKES: I can't imagine
what you've gone through.
We wanna know who
this female is.
So if y'all hear
anything, and even if you
think it's not important, please
give me a call to let me know.
And this girl, she
brought him to that church.
He must have trusted her.
Whoever this lady is,
she know everything.
NARRATOR: Acting on a
tip from the family,
the team tracks down
the mystery woman,
21-year-old Johnisha Taylor.
I just think--
I really don't know.
I wasn't over there.
TANISHA SYKES: But he was
with you up until to the point
he was killed.
You saw the whole thing.
[crying]
NARRATOR: With
little else to go on,
detectives need Johnisha
to give up the shooter.
This dude right here?
Look at him.
He ain't deserve that.
No, he didn't.
But either I'm gonna
be in prison for this,
or I'm gonna be the
next one on this paper.
[sighs]
Oh, god.
Tell me.
Let's be honest.
What the hell is
gonna happen to me?
We don't know what you know.
You're not telling us nothing.
THEO KENT: How are we
supposed to help if we
don't get the information?
[music playing]
[crying]
OK.
All right.
On the day that he was
killed, did you talk to him?
JOHNISHA TAYLOR: Yes.
He called me and told me that he
had some weed for us to smoke.
We were walking past the church.
And I'm like, OK--
NARRATOR: Johnisha she
says she and Rodney
walked into the alley
behind the church.
JOHNISHA TAYLOR: When
we got back there,
the guy came and actually
sat him in front of me.
[crying]
[crying]
NARRATOR: She says the
suspect is her heroin dealer.
What's his name?
NARRATOR: 33-year-old
Rononeall Hickman,
AKA, Slugga, lives down the
street from the crime scene.
TANISHA SYKES: She says
Slugga is the shooter.
So we'll get somebody to
show how a lineup of Slugga.
How you doing, doll?
NARRATOR: If Johnisha can't
pick Slugga from a lineup,
detectives can't charge
him with the murder.
Take your time, and tell me
which photograph you recognize
and how you recognize
the individual.
[crying]
It's a choice that
you have to make, doll.
We'll be right back.
[door closes]
[sobbing]
But sure, she
said, he's in there,
but I'm scared as to
what's gonna happen
to me when I identify him.
The only thing I'm saying
is, if it ends right now,
I don't see we have enough
to get that shooter.
Let's just see if we can
pull her off that edge
to at least ID him first.
Rob is so smooth.
He's the nice guy.
Johnisha, how you doing?
Hi.
My name's Rob.
Are you OK?
What's wrong?
About what?
Here's a situation
we have, OK?
Understanding
you're free, and we
have witnesses that saw
you leave with this person
after the murder happened.
NARRATOR: She says she
went to Slugga's house
after the shooting.
OK.
When y'all got into that
house, what happened?
[sobbing]
All right.
How long have you
been using heroine?
How long you been
buying from Slugga?
You've been victimized for
a long time now by this guy.
Even right here in his
room, he's controlling you.
Do you want to have to
[inaudible] life with this guy?
No.
[sobbing]
You don't think that Slugga
used you in this situation?
ROB BARRERE: He did.
And don't let him control you.
He used you.
You're stronger than that.
[crying]
So you ready to look
at these pictures again?
[crying]
OK.
All right, doll.
Yeah.
Um, just tell me
who you recognize.
[crying]
What's his name?
[crying]
She's ID'd Slugga.
Hoo!
We got a ID.
Sometimes being nice,
it helps, you know?
All right, Miss Taylor?
Stand up.
TANISHA SYKES: She's
a heroin addict.
She told me that
she's been on heroin
since she was 15 years old.
She just made 21.
You know, she's
been through a lot.
But I believe she has
more involvement in it
than she's actually letting on.
I think she set him up.
[handcuffs clank]
She suggested they go
behind the church to smoke.
So it's just too
much of a coincidence
that this guy would
be in the back
of a church waiting for her and
the victim to come back there.
NARRATOR: Four days later--
TANISHA SYKES: Oooh, I feel
good about doing something
for Rodney and his family
and getting them the justice
that they deserve.
That's what we work for.
[music playing]
