Texas man accused of murder 3 months after body found decomposing inside closet
HOUSTON – A Texas man is accused of killing a man whose decomposing body was found wrapped in blankets in the closet of a Houston apartment last year, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Houston Police Department, Zachary Charles Douglas, 20, has been charged with murder in the death of 48-year-old Stephen Douglas Johnson.
According to court records, Douglas is accused of fatally striking Johnson with his hands sometime around Aug. 21, 2022, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Police said that Douglas was arrested on unrelated charges on Wednesday, KTRK-TV reported. After speaking to homicide detectives, Douglas was charged for his role in Johnson’s death.
The victim’s body was found at the Redford Apartments in southwest Houston on Oct. 3, 2022, according to the television station. According to the police news release, employees at the apartment complex detected a foul odor near the door of an apartment and called authorities.
During their search, officers said they found a decomposing body, later identified as Johnson, inside a closet in an apartment, KPRC-TV reported.
An autopsy determined that Johnson died from blunt force trauma, according to the television station.
Police said the complex had many vacant apartments, including the one where the body was discovered, KTRK reported.
