Topline: Authorities say new witness interviews and additional DNA testing led to the arrest of Marqui Newton in the 2016 killing of Tampa man Saadyar Johnson.
Published: May 27, 2026 12:00 pm ET
Randy Shaw
I cut my teeth in journalism when I began looking into what I saw as abuses of power in my local government. From then on, I was hooked on the dopamine rush of uncovering information.
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Marqui Newton (via Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — A man has been arrested in connection with a 2016 armed robbery in Tampa that ended with the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Saadyar “Sy” Johnson, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
According to WFLA, deputies responded to the Del Rio Apartments on May 3, 2016, after receiving multiple 911 calls and a ShotSpotter alert about gunfire. When they arrived, deputies found Johnson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Johnson was taken to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.
Investigators determined at the time that Johnson had been targeted during an armed robbery and linked 34-year-old Marqui Newton to the shooting. Deputies said there was not enough evidence then to make an arrest, but the sheriff’s office Cold Case Unit continued working the case.
Authorities said investigators located previously unknown witnesses in 2025 and re-interviewed earlier witnesses. Additional DNA testing was also conducted with assistance from the Department of Law Enforcement, which investigators said helped develop more evidence.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant Wednesday charging Newton with first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office arrested Newton on Thursday in a collaborative effort with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.
Officials said Newton is being held in Brevard County and will be transported back to Hillsborough County.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said the arrest followed years of work by the Cold Case Unit and law enforcement partners and expressed hope that it would bring some measure of closure to those who had waited nearly a decade for answers.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Man Arrested 9 Years After Tampa Armed Robbery Turned Deadly
Authorities say new witness interviews and additional DNA testing led to the arrest of Marqui Newton in the 2016 killing of Tampa man Saadyar Johnson.
By Randy Shaw
Published: May 27, 2026 12:00 pm ET
Marqui Newton (via Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — A man has been arrested in connection with a 2016 armed robbery in Tampa that ended with the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Saadyar “Sy” Johnson, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
According to WFLA, deputies responded to the Del Rio Apartments on May 3, 2016, after receiving multiple 911 calls and a ShotSpotter alert about gunfire. When they arrived, deputies found Johnson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Johnson was taken to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.
Investigators determined at the time that Johnson had been targeted during an armed robbery and linked 34-year-old Marqui Newton to the shooting. Deputies said there was not enough evidence then to make an arrest, but the sheriff’s office Cold Case Unit continued working the case.
Authorities said investigators located previously unknown witnesses in 2025 and re-interviewed earlier witnesses. Additional DNA testing was also conducted with assistance from the Department of Law Enforcement, which investigators said helped develop more evidence.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant Wednesday charging Newton with first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office arrested Newton on Thursday in a collaborative effort with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.
Officials said Newton is being held in Brevard County and will be transported back to Hillsborough County.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said the arrest followed years of work by the Cold Case Unit and law enforcement partners and expressed hope that it would bring some measure of closure to those who had waited nearly a decade for answers.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Man Arrested 9 Years After Tampa Armed Robbery Turned Deadly
Authorities say new witness interviews and additional DNA testing led to the arrest of Marqui Newton in the 2016 killing of Tampa man Saadyar Johnson.
By Randy Shaw
Published: May 27, 2026 12:00 pm ET
Marqui Newton (via Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — A man has been arrested in connection with a 2016 armed robbery in Tampa that ended with the fatal shooting of 36-year-old Saadyar “Sy” Johnson, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
According to WFLA, deputies responded to the Del Rio Apartments on May 3, 2016, after receiving multiple 911 calls and a ShotSpotter alert about gunfire. When they arrived, deputies found Johnson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Johnson was taken to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.
Investigators determined at the time that Johnson had been targeted during an armed robbery and linked 34-year-old Marqui Newton to the shooting. Deputies said there was not enough evidence then to make an arrest, but the sheriff’s office Cold Case Unit continued working the case.
Authorities said investigators located previously unknown witnesses in 2025 and re-interviewed earlier witnesses. Additional DNA testing was also conducted with assistance from the Department of Law Enforcement, which investigators said helped develop more evidence.
Detectives obtained an arrest warrant Wednesday charging Newton with first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office arrested Newton on Thursday in a collaborative effort with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.
Officials said Newton is being held in Brevard County and will be transported back to Hillsborough County.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said the arrest followed years of work by the Cold Case Unit and law enforcement partners and expressed hope that it would bring some measure of closure to those who had waited nearly a decade for answers.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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