CAPE CORAL, Fla. A Cape Coral man is behind bars after authorities say he fatally stabbed his mother inside her home before sparking a dangerous multi-county pursuit.
Police identified the suspect as 28-year-old Devin Bryant Johnson. He is accused of killing his mother, 69-year-old Rosemary Johnson, inside her residence on Jacaranda Parkway W Tuesday afternoon. Officers said she suffered multiple stab wounds to the head and neck.
Her body was discovered by her daughter, who went to check on her after being unable to reach her by phone. She told investigators she saw bloody footprints leading to the bedroom, where she found her mother’s body under a blanket.
Johnson fled the scene in a 2019 gray Toyota Corolla, triggering a Be On The Lookout alert. Deputies later spotted him near RSW International Airport, leading to a high-speed chase that stretched into Collier County. After his tires were disabled with stop sticks along U.S. 41 in North Naples, Johnson abandoned the vehicle and attempted to run.
Authorities said Johnson resisted violently, trying to grab a deputy’s firearm and even attempting to choke a police K9 before being subdued. He was treated for injuries from the K9 bite, then booked into the Naples Jail Center.
Johnson now faces multiple charges, including:
- Second-Degree Murder (Cape Coral PD)
- Fleeing and Eluding Law Enforcement (Collier SO)
- Battery on Law Enforcement (Collier SO)
- Attempting to Take an Officer’s Firearm (Collier SO)
- Animal Cruelty on a Police Dog (Collier SO)
Family members told detectives Johnson had a long history of domestic violence and substance abuse, including two prior arrests for attacking his mother. Investigators also revealed he had purchased a plane ticket to Costa Rica earlier that day.
“This was a brutal and senseless act of violence,” police said in a statement. “Thanks to the cooperation of multiple agencies, the suspect was apprehended before he could escape further.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
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