Cousins plead guilty in beating death of 63-year-old Pittsburgh man
Two cousins pleaded guilty to third-degree murder on Monday stemming from a man’s beating death in Pittsburgh last year.
Marlon Johnson, 33, and Madera Johnson, 48, will be sentenced by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kevin G. Sasinoski on Dec. 13.
Roger Brown, 63, was found with severe head trauma in the 7200 block of Frankstown Avenue on June 19, 2020, according to a criminal complaint.
Police said that Brown was walking on Frankstown Avenue that afternoon when Madera Johnson approached him. She was followed by her cousin, Marlon Johnson.
They then attacked the man, the complaint said. Video showed them kicking and punching him until he collapsed to the ground defenseless.
The assault, according to video surveillance from the area lasted about 90 seconds, and then the Johnsons walked away.
Later that day, officers spotted Marlon Jackson, wearing the same pants as seen in the video.
A witness later told investigators that Madera Johnson robbed Brown of $20 the week before. The day of the assault, the two ran into each other on the street, and Brown used an expletive at Madera Johnson. She then called Marlon Johnson over, the complaint said, and they attacked Brown.
The two also pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy.
Paula Reed Ward is a TribLive reporter covering federal and Allegheny County courts. She joined the Trib in 2020 after spending nearly 17 years at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where she was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team. She is the author of “Death by Cyanide.” She can be reached at pward@triblive.com.
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