BATON ROUGE, LA – A Louisiana man was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder after a grisly killing was broadcast live on social media, shocking the community and drawing national attention to the case.

A jury found Earl Lee Johnson, 39, guilty in the 2022 death of Janice David, 34, after prosecutors presented evidence showing that Johnson assaulted, stabbed, and ultimately set fire to the car with David inside. The entire attack was streamed over a 16-minute Facebook Live video, which jurors watched during the five-day trial.

Authorities responded to the incident on the night of April 18, 2022, following a tip from state police who had been alerted by Facebook after a viewer reported the live video of the crime. Officers located the vehicle on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard, where they discovered David deceased in the burned-out car.

Prosecutors argued that Johnson carried out the murder with intent, highlighting how he described his actions directly to the camera as the crime unfolded. They told jurors that Johnson meticulously documented the attack, suggesting he wanted notoriety for what he was doing.

During closing arguments, the prosecution rejected assertions that Johnson’s mental state rendered him unaware of his actions, maintaining he fully understood the impact of his crime. Johnson’s commentary in the video, in which he discussed his fears about being accused of rape and expressed a desire for infamy, was presented as further proof of premeditation.

Defense attorneys sought to convince jurors that Johnson suffered from severe psychological problems at the time of the killing, contending that both he and the victim had been using drugs heavily over the course of several days leading up to the murder. His attorney emphasized that Johnson’s mental state was significantly impaired.

Prior to the murder charge, Johnson had been apprehended on unrelated charges, including vehicle theft and aggravated flight from law enforcement. According to authorities, Johnson and David’s drug use was confirmed through evidence gathered during the investigation, as well as statements Johnson made to police after his arrest.

Investigators characterized the killing as particularly horrific, describing a prolonged assault during which David was strangled, beaten, and stabbed before the car was set ablaze. The live stream of the attack, along with Johnson’s remarks during the act, provided prosecutors with key evidence throughout the trial.

The jury returned its verdict in little more than an hour of deliberation, finding Johnson guilty on all counts. Johnson now faces mandatory life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 10. Johnson remains in custody at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison pending his court appearance.