A cold case murder from a decade ago has finally been resolved, bringing closure to a long-standing mystery. A man from Tampa was gunned down outside an apartment complex, and now, Florida deputies have identified the suspect.
Saadyar “Sy” Johnson, who was 36 at the time, lost his life on May 3, 2016. The tragic incident occurred at the Del Rio Apartments on North 50th Street. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reported that the event was promptly alerted by numerous 911 calls and a ShotSpotter warning indicating gunfire.
Despite being swiftly transported to the hospital with multiple gunshot injuries, Johnson succumbed to his wounds. His death was officially classified as a homicide, but no arrests were made in the immediate aftermath.
LOOKING FOR INFORMATION?
On May 20, 2026, detectives secured an arrest warrant, charging the suspect, Newton, with felony first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators believed Johnson had been targeted during an armed robbery and early leads pointed to Marqui Newton, now 34.
But despite suspicions, detectives said they did not have enough evidence at the time to charge him.
That changed after HCSO’s Cold Case Unit spent years chasing leads, reworking witness interviews and using new forensic testing.
GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL
The Tampa Police Department and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigate a fatal shooting in the Ybor City neighborhood of Tampa, Florida, on Oct. 29, 2023. Two groups reportedly exchanged gunfire early Sunday morning in a busy area with bars and clubs. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
In 2025, investigators tracked down previously unknown witnesses and sat down again with people they had already interviewed.
Additional DNA testing, conducted with help from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, also helped push the cold case forward.
On May 20, 2026, detectives obtained a warrant charging Newton with felony first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.
Marqui Newton, 34, was charged with first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm in the 2016 killing of Saadyar Johnson. (Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office)
A day later, Newton was arrested in Brevard County with help from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.
“No matter how much time passes, we will never stop seeking justice for victims and their families,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said, calling the arrest the result of “years of relentless investigative work.”
“We hope this arrest brings some measure of closure to those who have waited nearly a decade for answers,” he said.
Newton remains in Brevard County pending transport back to Hillsborough County, where he will face the decade-old murder case.
<!–>
–>