Eugene Johnson, 64, of Lehigh Acres, was found guilty of one count of Second Degree Murder for the murder of Alberta Harris and immediately sentenced to life in prison. The verdict and sentencing happened just after 5 p.m. this evening following a trial in Hendry County.
On April 9, 2016, 50 year old Harris was reported missing by her family. She was a school bus driver in Lee County and a mother of six children. The Fort Myers Police Department began investigating her disappearance. Extensive searches were also done by her family. Two days after she was reported missing her car was found in a parking lot off of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Fort Myers with blood on the seat and a broken window. Her body was found in a rural area of Hendry County ten days after she was reported missing by some teenagers in the area. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement then took over the case.
Johnson, a boyfriend of the victim, was later arrested for the murder. It was shown at trial that he had been repeatedly texting her because he was jealous. Johnson’s wife also testified that she picked him up from the same parking lot the victim’s car was found, the same day the victim disappeared. Johnson’s DNA was also found on a work shirt belonging to Harris.
Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Abe Thornburg and Assistant State Attorney Sara Miller of our Homicide Unit prosecuted the case.
Samantha Syoen
Communications Director
State Attorney’s Office
ssyoen@sao20.org
239-533-1125