Authorities in Los Angeles said the brutal death of former Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Kevin Johnson may be connected to three other homicides of unhoused people.
Johnson, 55, was killed Jan. 21 in a Los Angeles homeless encampment. He died of stab wounds and blunt head trauma, and his death was ruled a homicide.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday said in a statement that Johnson is one of four homicide cases that occurred in the 1300 block of East 120th Street along the Los Angeles River between October 2025 and January.
Investigators are working to determine if the deaths are connected, the department said.
All four victims were unhoused, living in encampments in the area.
The most recent death occurred days after Johnson was killed.
The sheriff’s department said in a statement that early on Jan. 26, homicide detectives were called to an encampment regarding a death.
The individual was identified as an unhoused male, who was found dead by a flood control channel.
Information on the other two cases was not immediately available.
The investigations are being conducted by the county’s homicide bureau with the assistance of Century Sheriff’s Station personnel and Operation Safe Streets Bureau officers.
“Homicide investigators continue to pursue all investigative leads and remain committed to identifying the individual or individuals responsible for these crimes,” the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said.
