TAMPA, Fla. – A decade-old Tampa homicide case is finally closed following a multi-agency operation that tracked down a suspect in Brevard County.
The case began on May 3, 2016, when Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies rushed to the Del Rio Apartments on North 50th Street. Multiple 911 calls and an automated ShotSpotter alert had flagged gunfire in the area.
At the scene, first responders found 36-year-old Saadyar “Sy” Johnson with multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics rushed Johnson to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The Medical Examiner officially ruled the death a homicide, and initial investigations revealed that Johnson was targeted during an armed robbery.
While detectives quickly linked Marqui Newton, now 34, to the shooting, prosecutors lacked the necessary evidence to secure an arrest warrant at the time.
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The breakthrough came after years of persistence by HCSO’s Cold Case Unit, which leveraged recent advancements in forensic technology. In 2025, investigators tracked down previously unknown witnesses and re-examined prior interviews. Partnering with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, detectives ran updated DNA testing on existing evidence to build a stronger case.
On May 20, 2026, detectives officially obtained an arrest warrant for Newton, charging him with Felony First Degree Murder and Robbery with a Firearm.
The following day, a collaborative team consisting of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force located Newton and took him into custody in Brevard County.
“No matter how much time passes, we will never stop seeking justice for victims and their families,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “This arrest is the result of years of relentless investigative work and commitment of our Cold Case Unit and law enforcement partners. We hope this arrest brings some measure of closure to those who have waited nearly a decade for answers.”
Newton is currently held in Brevard County and is awaiting transfer back to Hillsborough County to face trial.
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