Darryl Lamar Collins, a 55-year-old California man, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend, Fatima Johnson, just a year after being released from prison for committing two other murders in the 1990s.
The Murder of Fatima Johnson
Collins was convicted of first-degree murder in February for the slaying of 57-year-old Fatima Johnson, a mother of six and grandmother of eight. Johnson worked at a nursing home, and her body was discovered by her daughters in her south Los Angeles home on July 2, 2021, after she had been missing for several days.
The cause of death was determined to be asphyxia due to neck pressure and possible smothering. According to prosecutors, Johnson’s wrists and ankles were bound with shoelaces and duct tape, her mouth and nose were covered with duct tape, and she was gagged with underwear. Collins also stole Johnson’s cellphone, jewelry, and her Lexus, which he later pawned and sold for drug money.
Collins’ Violent Past
Collins’ violent history spans back to the mid-1990s, when he was involved in two random murders just days apart. On September 17, 1995, Collins carjacked 28-year-old Derrick Reese, who was using a payphone, and shot him dead after stealing his car. Eleven days later, Collins entered a diner in Englewood and murdered 44-year-old cashier Thomas Weiss. Both murders were completely random, and Collins knew neither victim.
He was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the murders, but in 2017, California law changed, raising the cutoff for youthful offender parole from 23 to 25 years old. Since Collins was 24 at the time of the slayings, he was paroled in 2020 after serving 25 years of his sentence.
Reaction from District Attorney
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman issued a statement condemning Collins’ release and emphasizing the dangers of early parole for offenders with a violent history.
“Darryl Collins took three innocent lives. Today’s sentence isn’t just about punishment, it’s also about protection from this sociopath to ensure he will never walk free again,” Hochman said. “This case shows exactly what can happen when someone with a history of extreme violence is released from prison early. We can only hope that three families who have experienced unimaginable loss find some measure of peace knowing he will never again be back in our communities.”
Hochman also noted that had the law not changed in 2017, Collins would have remained incarcerated and the tragic death of Johnson might have been avoided.
Legislative Changes and Their Impact
Hochman further expressed regret over the 2017 law change, which allowed Collins to be released earlier than expected. “Had the state legislature not changed the law in 2017, almost 20 years after Collins’ sentencing, raising the age cutoff from 23 to 25 for youthful offender parole, Collins would have been behind bars rather than on the street and able to senselessly and brutally take another innocent life,” he said.
