Suspect indicted for murder of man found beaten to death in Melbourne home

MELBOURNE, Fla. — A Brevard County grand jury returned with an indictment Tuesday for the man accused of killing another man who police say he once called a friend.

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Melbourne Police officers responded to a 911 call from a home on McDermott Avenue at 2 p.m. on February 24 reporting the discovery of a dead body.

Responding officers arrived to find 32-year-old Kenneth Johnson dead with obvious injuries to his head and body. The Medical Examiner later determined Johnson had died as a result of multiple blunt-force trauma injuries.

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Police say the possible murder weapon, a blue and black rubber-handled claw hammer, was found within approximately 10 feet of Johnson’s body in his bedroom on the corner of a dresser.

After a “diligent” investigation, Melbourne detectives identified 26-year-old Chasemichael Wilson Smith as a person of interest in the case.

Friend is suspect in melbourne man’s murder Friend is suspect in Melbourne man’s murder (WFTV)

Johnson’s pickup truck was later located in Indian River County and, according to Smith’s arrest affidavit, a pair of white sneakers like those he was seen wearing days before the murder were found within proximity to Johnson’s truck, covered in various patterns of impact blood splatter.

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Investigators say additional physical evidence, witness testimony and surveillance video further linked Smith to Johnson’s murder and the theft of his truck

According to police, before the murder, Smith had been staying with Johnson at his McDermott Avenue home after he was told to leave a local sober living house, and was the last person to see Johnson alive.

Days later, one of Johnson’s family members found his body in the home.

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On March 5, police obtained a warrant charging Smith with first-degree murder for Johnson’s death. They arrested him two days later and booked him into the Brevard County jail on no bond.

After hearing testimony from the Associate Brevard County Medical Examiner and Melbourne Police Investigators, the grand jury returned with an indictment officially charging Smith with first-degree premeditated murder and grand theft of a motor vehicle.

A trial date for Smith has not been set.

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