Philadelphia man convicted of murdering his friend and burning his body – NBC10 Philadelphia

Editor’s Note: The details of this story are graphic and may be disturbing to some readers.

A Philadelphia man was sentenced to life in prison for shooting another man and burning his body beyond recognition because he didn’t want people to know about their romantic relationship.

During a news conference Monday, Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope said 23-year-old Kylen Pratt was motivated by hate when he shot and killed 20-year-old Naasire Johnson in February 2022.

“This is a person who was killed because he was gay and because the man who killed him didn’t want anyone to know he was in a relationship with him or had sex with other men,” Pope said. “Plain and simple. It is absolutely one of the most heinous crimes I have ever prosecuted.”

On February 17, 2022, Johnson, 20, left his West Philadelphia home and went to an apartment in the 2900 block of W. Oxford Street, where he met with Pratt, with whom he was romantically involved. Pratt then pulled out a gun and shot Johnson in the neck, killing him.

Pratt then took Johnson’s body, traveled to a remote area in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, wrapped Johnson’s body in cloth, plastic and duct tape and set it on fire.

On February 20, 2022, around noon, two people walking their dog found Johnson’s remains in the area of ​​Brewery Hill Drive and Kelly Drive. Investigators said the body was so badly burned that it was initially impossible to tell it was human. It took investigators a week to identify the remains, and Johnson’s death was ruled a homicide.

After receiving an anonymous tip, police obtained a search warrant for the home in the 2900 block of W. Oxford Street. They found a large stain of bleach and other cleaning products, as well as blood on the ceiling and the back of a door. They then found more blood under a rug on the floor. Investigators later confirmed the blood belonged to Johnson and recovered a gun that matched the bullet they found in Johnson’s neck.

Investigators also obtained cell phone records showing that Pratt and Johnson were at home together on February 17, 2022 and that Pratt was at the crime scene in Fairmount Park on both February 19 and 20.

Investigators also discovered that Pratt searched his cell phone for messages about the discovery of Johnson’s body, as well as terms such as “murder in cold blood,” “sex with corpses” and “characteristics of a psychopath.”

On June 15, 2022, Pratt was arrested and charged with murder, possession of a weapon, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

On Friday, September 27, Pratt was sentenced to life in prison and several years in prison due to the heinous nature of the crime. ADA Pope was with Johnson’s family members late Monday morning when she made the announcement.

“I only presented the jury with six photos from the crime scene and only once because they are so shocking. No one should have to see them once,” Pope said. “What this man did to Naasire Johnson is that he deprived the family of the opportunity to ever see him again. And there can be no forgiveness for that.”

Johnson’s grandmother said her grandson was killed just before he was scheduled to attend community college.

“He always worked and kept his job. Good heart. He was a lovely person. Everyone liked him. Nobody could say nothing bad about him. Nothing,” she said through tears. “Sometimes I just force myself to go to sleep. My heart is so torn in so many places. Sometimes I just wish I could say, “What are you doing in your room, Naasire?” I couldn’t even see him when they laid him to rest. I couldn’t even see him.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS Send 22522.