Former Texas A&M Wide Receiver Arrested For Allegedly Butchering A Random Jogger To Death With A Machete

Thomas Johnson was one of the top ranked receivers in the country when he graduated high school in 2011. In 2012, he played 10 games for the Aggies, mysteriously disappearing from campus after a game against Alabama, prompting campus police to launch a search for him, according to Deadspin. Following that incident, Johnson never played football again.

This bizarre behavior may have been a tiny indicator of what lead to a gruesome scene in Dallas where he allegedly hacked a jogger between the age of 25-25 to death with a “large-edged weapon.”

According to The Dallas Morning News, the crime occurred at random after a fit of rage.

Dallas police say, he was angry. Johnson allegedly took out that rage Monday morning by hacking a jogger to death with a “large-edged weapon” on the White Rock Creek Trail, police said.

“It appears Mr. Johnson picked this victim at random. Absolutely random,” Deputy Chief Rob Sherwin said. “He just attacked him. … It’s just very unusual. It’s quite shocking.”

Police say that they were phoned at around 8 am, after Johnson himself called 911 at a nearby equestrian center.

Johnson allegedly made this eery confession to police, via Dallas Morning News.

“I need to talk to you.”

Johnson, who had blood on his pants, told the officer, “I just committed capital murder,” according to an arrest warrant affidavit. He repeated the sentence.

The officer asked what he meant. Police said Johnson replied, “It’s like when you don’t wake up.”

The victim was not carrying any ID and later died at the hospital from his injuries.

A cyclist who claimed to witness the attack described the scene to NBC DFW:

“As I get closer and closer I could tell it was a machete and there are repeated blows that are occurring. As I get closer, I could see what’s being hit is a person, laying face down on the ground,” Brandon said. “It was apparent to me by the time I got close that there was nothing that could be done for the person.”

Brandon said the killer yelled in his direction as he rode past the attack.

“I heard a little bit of a yell from behind. I assume it was the guy with the machete yelling to stop,” Brandon said. “I just kept going and I just kept going.”

Last year, Johnson was arrested on three charges — evading arrest, burglary of a habitation and auto theft.  He allegedly broke into his aunt’s house and stole her minivan and money. His aunt claims that Johnson had been causing problems in the family for years.

Johnson is currently in Dallas County Jail where he has been charged with first-degree murder.

[h/t Deadspin]

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Matt’s love of writing was born during a sixth grade assembly when it was announced that his essay titled “Why Drugs Are Bad” had taken first prize in D.A.R.E.’s grade-wide contest. The anti-drug people gave him a $50 savings bond for his brave contribution to crime-fighting, and upon the bond’s maturity 10 years later, he used it to buy his very first bag of marijuana.