A 33-year-old man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after a jury found him guilty of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend in Orlando.
On Monday, State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Andrew Bain announced that Tyrese Johnson has been convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of 50-year-old Joan Omeil Foster-Taylor.
According to court records, at around 5:25 p.m. on June 24, 2023, Orlando Police Department officers responded to the Metro Place Apartments at 907 S Kirkman Road after receiving reports of a shooting. The victim, Foster-Taylor, had told a 911 operator that she had been shot.
Upon arrival, officers located Foster-Taylor, who was suffering from gunshot wounds. She was transported to a local hospital where she later died from her injuries.
OPD officers spoke with the victim’s roommate who confirmed that Foster-Taylor had previously dated Johnson.
The roommate told investigators that after the victim and Johnson ended their relationship, Johnson’s vehicle had been spotted at the victim’s apartment complex during various hours of the day on multiple occasions. Evidence also suggested that Johnson had broken into the victim’s apartment, which prompted the victim to change all the door locks.
Orlando police obtained a search warrant for Johnson’s phone, which showed that he was near the scene where the victim was fatally shot. In addition, on the night of the shooting, Johnson’s phone showed multiple searches for hospitals that treat patients with gunshot wounds.
Several days after the shooting, the search history on Johnson’s phone showed the following searches: “Does Jesus want me to confess my sins to the police,” and “Tyrese Johnson Orlando Fl wanted for murder.”
During the investigation, OPD found voice memos recorded on Johnson’s phone before the murder that showed “obsessive behavior” and “jealousy of the victim and her dating other men.” These voice memos were of varying lengths, with some reaching multiple hours.
When law enforcement interviewed Johnson, he claimed that he was “mostly at his apartment” on the day of the fatal shooting, though he admitted to “(going) for a drive at some point.” He was unable to tell investigators where he went during that drive.
Investigators obtained surveillance video footage from the victim’s apartment complex, which showed a vehicle matching the description of Johnson’s vehicle leaving the area shortly after the victim was shot. Additionally, tag readers also placed Johnson’s vehicle in the area near the time of the shooting.
After a four-day trial, an Orange County jury ultimately found Johnson guilty of first-degree murder with a firearm. The judge then sentenced him to life in prison.