A Dallas County jury found 33-year-old Sedrick Deshun Johnson guilty of injury to a child by failing to seek medical attention in the 2019 death of 18-month-old CJ, who had been placed in the care of relatives by Child Protective Services.
Prosecutor Rachel Burris led the case, with Jacob Zachariah serving as second chair. The Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation, with DA Investigator Ryan Rodriguez assisting.
CPS had placed CJ under the care of his paternal aunt. However, CPS was unaware that the aunt lived with her boyfriend, Sedrick Johnson, and their six children. According to the defendant’s own statements, CJ had a pattern of becoming involved in situations. To prevent this, Johnson stated that he would “swaddle” CJ tightly in a blanket.
On July 10, 2019, Johnson stated that after swaddling CJ, the youngster began making “sounds” and vomited. Johnson told investigators that he tried to clear CJ’s airway and did CPR for 30–40 minutes, including immersing the boy in a bathtub to revive him. He never sought emergency aid.
After CJ became unresponsive, Johnson admitted to wrapping the boy in a blanket, driving to Garland, and dumping his body in a dumpster. CJ’s remains were discovered the following day at a dump.
The lawsuit was delayed owing to an appeal based on the voluntariness of Johnson’s statement. The Dallas County District Attorney’s Appellate Division, led by Russell Anderson, successfully overturned a previous judicial ruling, allowing the case to go to trial.
On June 18, 2025, the jury returned a guilty verdict. Two days later, on June 20, Johnson was sentenced to twenty years in prison. He received credit for 2,172 days already served—roughly six years in jail since his arrest.
