Florida Deputies Charge Suspect In 2016 Tampa Cold Case Murder
On May 20, 2026, Hillsborough County deputies charged 34-year-old Marqui Newton with felony first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm in the 2016 shooting death of Saadyar "Sy" Johnson in Hillsborough County.[1]
Newton was arrested on May 21, 2026, in Brevard County with help from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.[1] Detectives said the victim, Saadyar "Sy" Johnson, was shot multiple times on May 3, 2016, at the Del Rio Apartments on North 50th Street.[1] Cold case detectives reopened interviews in 2025 and worked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to run new DNA testing that advanced the probe, investigators said.[1]
Cold case detectives said new DNA evidence and newly identified witnesses emerged during their 2025-2026 review, prompting the May 20 warrant charging Newton.[1]
Hillsborough County detectives said the investigation remains active.[1]
Show source details & analysis (1 source)
📌 Key Facts
- Saadyar "Sy" Johnson, 36, was shot multiple times on May 3, 2016, at the Del Rio Apartments on North 50th Street in Hillsborough County, Florida.
- On May 20, 2026, Hillsborough County detectives obtained a warrant charging Marqui Newton, now 34, with felony first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.
- Newton was arrested May 21, 2026, in Brevard County with assistance from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.
- Cold case detectives advanced the investigation by reworking witness interviews in 2025 and conducting new DNA testing with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time