Home / Crime and Justice / Ex-NFL Player Kevin Johnson Linked to LA Homeless Killings
Ex-NFL Player Kevin Johnson Linked to LA Homeless Killings
4 Feb
Summary
- Former NFL player Kevin Johnson found dead at homeless encampment.
- Authorities suspect Johnson's death is linked to three other homeless killings.
- All victims were unhoused individuals living in encampments along Compton Creek.
The death of former NFL player Kevin Johnson is being investigated for connections to three other homicides targeting homeless individuals in Los Angeles County. Johnson, 55, was discovered on January 21, 2026, at a homeless encampment in Willowbrook, suffering from blunt force trauma and stab wounds. Investigators believe he was also unhoused.
Authorities revealed on Tuesday night that three other homeless individuals were killed in similar encampments along the same flood control channel on East 120th Street between October 2025 and January 2026. All four victims were unhoused, and the cases remain unsolved.
Homicide investigators are actively pursuing leads and working with homeless outreach services. The sheriff's department has urged anyone with information regarding these killings to come forward to assist in identifying the responsible party or parties.
Johnson played as a defensive lineman in the 1990s for teams including the Philadelphia Eagles and the Oakland Raiders. Friends have suggested he may have suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease linked to repeated head injuries. His son described him as loving and caring.
