A Texas man has been charged with capital murder in the death of a toddler whovanished from his bed in the middle of the nightand was later found dead in a landfill, PEOPLE confirms.
Sedrick Johnson, 28, was indicted on a murder charge last month in the death of 18-month-old Cedric Jackson.
The boy was last seen at 11 p.m. on July 11 when his aunt said she put him to bed in her Dallas-area condo. She said that when she woke up seven hours later, the boy had vanished without a trace.
Police say Johnson was the boyfriend of the boy’s aunt,NBC-DFW reports.
The day after his disappearance, investigators made a grisly discovery when they found the boy’s body in a landfill.
The Dallas Morning NewsreportsJohnson allegedly told police the boy had “made a mess” with ketchup packets, so he swaddled him tightly so the child wouldn’t be able to move as much. Johnson allegedly said he later heard Cedric making noises, after which the boy began vomiting and became unresponsive.
Sedrick Johnson.Dallas Police
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Johnson allegedly told police he gave the boy CPR for more than 30 minutes, saying Cedric wasn’t moving but still had a heartbeat. After that, Johnson allegedly confessed, he drove to a dumpster and deposited Cedric’s body inside.
He also faced a 2010 child abandonment charge for engaging with a prostitute while his 4-month-old daughter was left home alone unsupervised. He received a suspended sentence.
Johnson is being held on $1 million bond. It was not immediately clear if he has entered a plea to the pending charges against him.
An attorney listed for Johnson did not immediately return PEOPLE’s call for comment.
source: people.com
