Harlem Man Charged In Brutal Murder Of BK Woman Found In Suitcases: PD

HARLEM, NY — A Harlem man has been charged in connection with the brutal murder of a Brooklyn woman whose body was found stuffed into two suitcases in September, according to authorities.

Justin Williams, 24, of Central Harlem, was charged Monday with murder and concealment of a human corpse for the killing of his girlfriend, 22-year-old D'Asia Johnson, police and prosecutors said.

Johnson went home after finishing work on Aug. 21, returning to her apartment in East New York, according to the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Early the next morning, Williams stabbed her nine times: five to the front of her torso and four to her back, prosecutors say.

Williams dismemebered her body and concealed her remains in two suitcases, living in the apartment for another month while using towels and cleaning products to cover up the smell, prosecutors allege.

On Sept. 21, security workers at Johnson's East New York building went to her sixth-floor apartment after not seeing her for weeks, NBC New York reported. During the wellness check, Williams fled the apartment, according to prosecutors.

When they finally gained access, the workers found blood in a bathtub, a meat cleaver, and a "horrible stench," prompting them to call police, NBC reported.

Cops later found the two suitcases containing human remains, prosecutors say.

Days later, police said they were seeking five women and a man who may have been witnesses, though their identities remain unclear.

Johnson had suffered repeated abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, neighbors told the Daily News, saying he had broken her bones and beaten her in the building's hallway.

Williams was ordered to be held without bail, and faces up to 25 years to life in prison if he is convicted

"This defendant is accused of the horrific murder and dismemberment of his former girlfriend," Gonzalez said in a statement Monday. "While we can’t erase the tragic and cruel death of D’Asia Johnson, we are fully committed to bringing this defendant to justice."