Man faces murder charge, accused of using dating apps to target Metro Detroit LGBTQ community

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy on Wednesday announced murder and armed robbery charges against a 24-year-old Indianapolis man who prosecutors say targeted members of Metro Detroit's LGBTQ community through online dating apps.

Diabolique Paris Johnson was charged Tuesday in two separate cases from September, according to a release from Worthy's office.  

On Sept. 1, prosecutors say Johnson robbed, while armed, a 26-year-old Detroit man at a Dearborn hotel located in the 24100 block of Michigan Avenue. Johnson is accused of taking personal property from the man during the robbery. Johnson was not in custody when he was charged with one count of armed robbery on Sept. 21.

On Sept. 5, Johnson allegedly killed a 39-year-old man during an armed robbery in the 16800 block of Woodbine in Detroit. Prosecutors charged Johnson with one count of first-degree felony murder and one count of felony firearm in that incident. 

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The victims in both cases were targeted online on dating apps because they were members of the LGBTQ community, the prosecutor's office said Wednesday. More details and evidence in the case will be placed on the record in court at the preliminary examination, the office said. 

An investigation by police in Dearborn, Detroit and Indianapolis led to Johnson's arrest. He has been extradited from Indiana and was expected to arrive in Michigan later Wednesday.

Johnson was arraigned on the Dearborn armed robbery case Wednesday in 18th District Court in Dearborn. He was denied bond and remanded to jail. He's due back in court on the Dearborn case on March 12.

Johnson faces arraignment on the Detroit murder and armed robbery charges Thursday in 36th District Court in Detroit, authorities said Wednesday.

The prosecutor's office partnered with Fair Michigan Justice Project which assists Michigan law enforcement agencies in solving crimes against the LGBTQ community.

Fair Michigan President Alanna Maguire called the use of dating apps to target victims "troubling."

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel created a Hate Crimes Unit in her office in 2019 to investigate and prosecute hate crimes that include victims targeted based on race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity. As part of that department, Nessel has offered the state's county prosecutors assistance with hate crimes prosecutions.

The Johnson case represents the first joint undertaking between the AG's office and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

“I’m proud to stand with Prosecutor Worthy and the Fair Michigan Justice Project to announce these charges today," Nessel said in the release. "It’s my hope that this case marks the beginning of a long partnership focused on providing justice to some of our most vulnerable communities.” 

Worthy said she has assigned veteran Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor LaDonna Logan to work with the Fair Michigan Justice Project on these cases.

bwilliams@detroitnews.com