A judge in Baltimore dismissed charges against the man accused in the late 2010 disappearance and death of a teenager who had ties to metro Atlanta, The Baltimore Sun reported.
Michael Maurice Johnson, 30, jailed since 2012, was convicted of second-degree murder a year later in the death of 16-year-old Phylicia Barnes.
Prosecutors alleged Johnson developed a relationship with the teen — the younger half-sister of his longtime girlfriend — then killed her and dumped her body in a river.
Tuesday, a judge ruled prosecutors had presented insufficient evidence, according to The Sun.
Baltimore state’s attorney vowed to appeal.
Phylicia Barnes’ father, Russell Barnes of Riverdale, said the judicial system let his daughter down.
“In my mind, the city of Baltimore has let a child predator go,” Barnes said. “We still want justice for Phylicia.”
Barnes was visiting her half-sisters in Baltimore when she vanished on Dec. 28, 2010, according to The Sun. She was on Christmas break from North Carolina where she was preparing to graduate from high school a year early. Her body was found April 21, 2011, in a Maryland river, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.
Russell Barnes spent time in Baltimore after his daughter disappeared. Her mother, Janice Sallis, also went to Baltimore but then moved back to Atlanta.
About the Author
