CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte woman and her two young children were found dead more than a week after they were reported missing, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
Police charged Benjamin Joseph Taylor, 35, with 3 counts of murder and one count of concealment of death.
Taylor was found on Saturday and arrested in Imperial County, California. He will be held in the Imperial County jail, awaiting extradition to North Carolina.
"I'm often asked what the most difficult part of my job as police chief is and without hesitation, my answer is always seeing families grieving the loss of their loved one after a violent crime--especially when small children are involved," CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said in a statement following the arrest.
On Friday, CMPD shared a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that said officers were investigating an apartment complex along Orchard Trace Lane near the Interstate-85 Connecter and U.S. Highway 29. The department said at the time that human remains were found in the area.
After obtaining a search warrant, officers discovered the remains around 1:45 p.m. that day inside the victim's apartment. On Saturday, CMPD said they had presumptively identified the remains as 22-year-old Markayla Johnson and her children: 4-year-old Miracle Johnson and 7-month-old Messiah Johnson. All three had been reported missing on March 8.
Chief Jennings said in a news conference Saturday afternoon they believed a person of interest to be at large somewhere in the Carolinas. However, he also said the department wouldn't hesitate to launch a nationwide manhunt.
Jennings did not identify the suspect during the news briefing on Saturday. However, he did say the person they were looking for was in a relationship with Johnson.
"We're going to do everything we can to bring closure to the family and bring justice to the person responsible for these murders," he said, "and we're going to continue on until that is concluded."
On Sunday, CMPD announced Taylor's arrest in connection to the case.
Following the arrest, Jennings called the deaths "a senseless act of violence and a devastating loss for their family and our community."
Members of Markayla Johnson's family attended Saturday's briefing, including grandmother Ramona Johnson who lamented the tragedy.
"We loved her to death and she knew that," Ramona Johnson said, also asking for prayers and mentioning her Christian faith. "Jesus is in charge of everything that is going on right now. We can't do more than is expected."
Markayla Johnson's mother also spoke through tears.
"I miss my baby," she said. "I miss my grandkids. She was a good person and everybody knows Markayla would do anything for you. She didn't deserve this."
Chris Swecker, former assistant director of the FBI and now an attorney in Charlotte, is not connected to the case, but said, right now, CMPD is likely building their case, making sure the evidence keeps Taylor behind bars.
“It's like a puzzle they're trying to put together and they only have a few of the pieces, but enough of the pieces to get a warrant," Swecker said. "In these cases, you still have forensics that lags behind, testing, toxicology, autopsies. So, there's still quite a bit of investigative work that probably needs to be done in this case and there'll be doing that for, I would say, the weeks and maybe even months ahead.”
A neighbor who spoke to WCNC Charlotte on Friday said the situation is making her rethink her usual routines.
"I do walk down here at night, but I'm not going to do that anymore," she said. "This project is unsafe and they need to do something about it."
Public records show Taylor has had dozens of run-ins with the law, including charges of kidnapping, assault, and violating a domestic violence protective order in the past.
While the exact circumstances surrounding Taylor and Johnson's relationship are unclear, advocates for domestic violence survivors say there are signs to look for to help identify potentially violent tendencies in a partner, including controlling or isolating behavior.
"If I get you away from your entire support system, who are you leaning on? Me. And, so it's important for an abuser, that they do that," Joan Harris with Safe Passage said. "Look these people up on the public index that is available. You can see if a person has had charges in the past."
Anyone with information about this case can call (704) 432-TIPS to talk with detectives. Tips can also be shared anonymously with Crime Stoppers online or by calling (704) 334-1600.
If you or a loved one is facing domestic violence, help is readily available. You can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Resources for help are available in both North Carolina and South Carolina.
If your loved one was impacted by this incident, WCNC Charlotte hopes to make this process less painful with our More Than A Number initiative. With your help, we want to share who your loved one was with our viewers in North Carolina and South Carolina. When you're ready, fill out the form below or send us photos, memories and other details about them to desk@wcnc.com.
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