Man Sentenced to Life for Killing Girlfriend in South LA After Early Parole for Previous Murders
LOS ANGELES – Darryl Lamar Collins, 55, was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2021 murder of his girlfriend, Fatima Johnson. Collins was found guilty on February 19, shortly after the tragic death of Johnson, a 53-year-old mother of six.
Johnson’s body was discovered on July 3, 2021, rolled inside a blanket at her home in the 7600 block of South Western Avenue. Family members reported her missing days before they made the harrowing discovery, finding her unresponsive around 11:30 PM. She was known for her commitment to sobriety and had been working in a nursing home while preparing for her nursing license.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney detailed the brutality of the crime, noting that Johnson died from asphyxia caused by neck compression and possible smothering. Her wrists and ankles were tightly bound with shoelaces and duct tape, and a pair of underwear was used to gag her, with additional duct tape placed over her mouth and nose.
Following the murder, Collins stole Johnson’s cellphone, jewelry, and her Lexus. He pawned two of her necklaces within hours and sold her vehicle for drugs.
A Troubling History
Collins has a violent past; he was previously convicted of two murders in 1995. On September 17 of that year, he fatally shot 28-year-old Derrick Reese after carjacking him. Just eleven days later, Collins shot and killed 44-year-old Thomas Weiss, a cashier at a diner in Inglewood. In January 1998, Collins received a 50-to-life sentence. However, under the "youthful offender" provisions enacted in 2017, he was released after serving only 25 years, as he was 24 years old at the time of his earlier crimes.
LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman criticized the loophole that allowed Collins to be released, highlighting the severity of the situation. "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 stated. "Had the state legislature not changed the law in 2017… Collins would have been behind bars rather than on the street and able to senselessly and brutally take another innocent life."
