DETROIT (WXYZ) — Wayne county prosecutors have charged two Detroit men for their involvement in the murder of a gay man.
The Fair Michigan Justice Project (FMJP) assisted prosecutors in charging both 28-year-old Anthony Brock and 30-year-old Darnell Wilson with first-degree murder and other crimes in the killing of Diano Johnson.
Brock and Wilson were charged with one count each of first degree murder, felony murder, armed robbery, carjacking, unlawful imprisonment, felon in possession of a firearm, and six counts of use of a firearm, prosecutors say.
Brock was also charged with arson for allegedly setting Johnson's car on fire, according to prosecutors.
On June 19, Brock arranged to meet Diano Johnson after the two men met on Facebook. Prosecutors say it is alleged that Brock locked Johnson in the trunk of the victim's car and drove to pick up Wilson. The two suspects then allegedly got a firearm, drove to the city's east side with Johsnon still in the truck of his own car, where they dragged him from the car and shot him multiple times.
The next morning, Brock allegedly set Johnson's car on fire, burning his legs in the process, prosecutors say.
Detroit Police officers discovered Johnson’s body on June 21. An investigation by the Detroit Police Department resulted in the arrest of Brock on June 25, 2019 and Wilson on July 12, 2019.
Both are expected to be arraigned July 15 at the 36th District Court.
This is the second FMJP case in three days. The Fair Michigan Justice Project is a program that helps state law enforcement officers and prosecutors solve serious crimes against people of the LGBTQ community.
On Thursday, prosecutors charged Demetris Nelson with the murder of one gay man and assault with the intent to murder another.
Sources told 7 Action News reporter Kim Craig that Anthony Brock and Darnell Wilson used social networking apps to target gay men in robberies and carjackings.
When asked if these two suspects were affiliated with Demetrius Nelson, sources told Craig they were not. But all three were exploiting "down low" gay people whose families were unaware of the person's sexuality. These victims may be less likely to report the crimes due to fear of being outed.
