MARION COUNTY, SC – A man has been apprehended in connection with a brutal crime spree that resulted in the murder of a paramedic and a state police officer. Authorities in Marion County have arrested Joshua Antwain Johnson, 30, of Mullins, who is believed to have been linked with Jeremy Smith, the main suspect in the killing of the paramedic Phonesia Machado-Fore and New Mexico State Police officer Justin Hare earlier this year.
According to information that was released by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson and Smith engaged in widespread criminal activities in Marion County before proceeding to New Mexico. Johnson was arrested on Wednesday and is facing charges including first-degree burglary, grand larceny, conspiracy, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
Authorities clarified that while Johnson was part of the crime spree, he was not implicated in the murder of Machado-Fore. It was reported that he journeyed with Smith to Texas, where he was left at a convenience store prior to Smith moving on to New Mexico.
Smith, on the other hand, pleaded not guilty to multiple federal crimes on April 18. These offenses include carjacking resulting in death, discharge of a firearm during a violent crime resulting in death, kidnapping resulting in death, and interstate transport of a stolen vehicle.
Smith will remain in custody pending his trial. If found guilty, he could be facing mandatory life imprisonment or the death penalty for the kidnapping charge and a possible life term or death for the carjacking and firearm discharge offenses. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez has noted that Smith could be facing further charges at the state level.
Smith’s arrest came after a brief foot pursuit on March 17, whereby Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies shot him multiple times in an Albuquerque neighborhood. He has received an additional 17 charges for the murder of Machado-Fore.