3 weeks Ago
SHREVEPORT, La. - A Shreveport man indicted in February 2024 for second-degree murder was not arrested until more than a year later — after he was accused of nearly beating his girlfriend to death. Damien Monte Johnson, 33, is now in jail, charged in the July 2022 shooting death of Eli McKinney, 21, outside a Greenwood Road motel.
Despite a warrant issued in early 2024, Johnson remained free for over a year, during which time he allegedly attacked his girlfriend with a rubber mallet and struck her with a vase. At the time of the attack, her injuries were described as life threatening. A screenshot shows a call from the Caddo DA's office to SPD Det.
D.J. Belanger.
The arrest has raised questions about communication between law enforcement and prosecutors — and whether systemic failures allowed a murder suspect to remain at large. McKinney’s parents say their son was trying to sell watches to make money when he was shot. Police quickly identified Johnson, a convicted felon with a long history of gun-related offenses, as the suspect.
“His rap sheet is very long,” said Eli’s mother, Adrea McKinney. “When he murdered Eli, we didn’t know he was already out on bail. That’s heartbreaking.
” Johnson’s criminal history spans over a decade. In 2012, he was convicted of felony burglary in Georgia, and later that year, arrested in Caddo Parish for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty to attempted possession and was sentenced to three years.
In 2017, another gun arrest led to a seven-year sentence. A third firearms arrest came in 2021 after police responding to a narcotics complaint say they saw him trying to hide a handgun. For that charge, he was given probation.
Despite this record, Johnson was free in July 2022 when Eli McKinney was killed. Police initially sought a warrant for Johnson’s arrest in August 2022, but the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office declined, citing insufficient evidence. It wasn’t until October 2023 — more than a year after McKinney’s death — that a Caddo assistant district attorney determined there was enough evidence for a murder charge.
A grand jury indictment followed in February 2024, and a judge signed a warrant for Johnson’s arrest. That's where an breakdown happened. There appears to have been no attempt to locate and arrest Johnson until March, when he was arrested for the violent beating of his girlfriend.
Shreveport Police Department spokesman Cpl. Chris Bordelon said officers only became aware of the outstanding murder warrant after Johnson was booked on the domestic assault charge. Bordelon said even Det.
Donald Belanger — who had testified before the grand jury — did not know a warrant had been issued. The grand jury indictment was a secret indictment. However, Caddo Parish District Attorney James Stewart disputes that and produced a phone log showing their chief investigator called Belanger on the day of the indictment to notify him.
The McKinneys say they later spoke directly with Belanger about the warrant. He knew,” said Joey McKinney, Eli’s father. “We were told they were going to find him and arrest him.
” The district attorney's office said standard procedure was followed and Belanger should have taken it from there. Bordelon insists that had SPD known about the warrant, there should have been a paper trail and they would have acted swiftly. “We have a long-standing history of doing everything we can to locate and arrest people wanted for murder,” he said.
“Had we known, this case would have been no different." Bordelon also noted that Belanger was no longer working in the homicide division when the warrant was issued. The McKinney family is relieved Johnson is finally behind bars, but they are deeply frustrated by the delay.
“Every murder should be taken seriously,” said Adrea McKinney. “They should do everything they can to make sure justice is served.” Meanwhile, Stewart said in his 10 years as district attorney, this kind of situation has never happened before.
And to make sure it doesn't again, he's making changes in the notification process. In addition to telling the investigating officer there's been an indictment and warrant issues -- as they've always done -- prosecutors will now send an email and a letter to the chief of police and one of his assistants, notifying them as well. Johnson is behind bars at Caddo Correctional Center.
His bond for second-degree murder is $1 million. There is no bond for the domestic abuse battery charge. He's set for arraignment on May 13 and expected to plead not guilty.
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