A Philadelphia man who killed his gay lover to hide the relationship will never walk free again.
Judge Giovanni Campbell handed Kylen Pratt, 23, a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the shooting death of his lover, Naasire Johnson. Pratt was found guilty and convicted of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and possession of an instrument of crime.
On Feb. 17, 2022, officers responded to Fairmount Park in West Philadelphia after two individuals found a human corpse burnt beyond recognition. Soon, authorities identified the victim as Johnson through DNA analysis.
Soon, an anonymous tip led investigators to focus on Pratt as a person of interest.
According to Metro Weekly, Johnson had used the services of an Uber to the defendant’s residence along the 2900 Block of Oxford Street on the same day the body was found.
Upon the victim’s arrival, Pratt shot Johnson in the neck and transported his body to Fairmont Park, where he lit the body on fire in an attempt to dispose of the body. During the investigation, authorities were able to use phone data to link both men at the defendant’s home and later at the park. Furthermore, a search warrant for Johnson’s residence discovered a patch of the carpet was soaked with Johnson’s blood and the 9mm semi-automatic handgun Pratt used in killing his 20-year-old lover.
Investigators established the motive for the killing was because the defendant, who also dated women, didn’t want the relationship exposed.
“Make no mistake: The murder of Naasire Johnson was a hate crime. Kylen Pratt did not want anyone to know of his romantic involvement with the victim. I want to thank Philadelphia Police Detective Antoinina (Toni) Anderson for her excellent investigation in this case. I also sincerely thank the individual who provided the anonymous tip that led investigators to Kylen Pratt. And finally, I thank the family and friends of Naasire Johnson for their courage and strength throughout this extremely difficult trial,” said Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
Campbell sentenced Pratt to an additional four-and-a-half to nine years consecutively for the other charges.
Leave a Reply