Remembering Briana Johnson: Where murder investigation stands 3 weeks after her death

Miya Shay Image
Friday, December 18, 2020
New details describe night before woman's body found in trunk
Briana Johnson was found dead after a police chase. Now, the suspect's charging documents are uncovering what led to the grisly discovery.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The man charged in the murder of a Houston woman is sitting in a Jefferson County Jail, three weeks after the victim was found strangled in the trunk of a vehicle involved in a police chase.



It's not clear when the Harris County Sheriff's Office will bring 35-year-old Victor Campbell Jr. back to Houston. According to Houston police, HCSO is the agency that would be involved in Campbell's return.



Campbell has told investigators he did not remember the evening before the pursuit in which he was seen at the victim's apartment complex.



The woman killed has since been identified as 28-year-old Briana Johnson.



In charging documents, investigators placed Campbell at the complex where Johnson lived. Through surveillance cameras, Campbell was spotted going in and out of Johnson's apartment late in the evening of Nov. 27, according to the documents.



SEE ALSO: Woman found dead in trunk of car was strangled, officials say



The video above is from previous reporting on this case.



The cameras captured what appeared to be the last signs of Johnson alive when she arrived home in her Honda, which investigators said was the vehicle involved in the chase, at about 5:27 p.m. that evening.



Documents then state cameras captured another woman arriving at the apartment about five-and-a-half hours later. This woman then leaves 15 minutes later.



According to investigators, this woman told them that she saw Campbell at the unit but did not see Johnson. The unidentified woman also said she smelled a strong odor of "cleaning products" when Campbell came out of a bedroom.



Surveillance video then picks up a man in a robe leaving the apartment closer to midnight and then covering another camera near the apartment with a cloth despite other recording equipment still rolling unobstructed.



Over the next few minutes, documents state the man is seen backing up Johnson's Honda closer to the apartment, lining the trunk with a blanket, and then going back and forth between the unit and the vehicle.



Investigators said it appeared he was bending over as if he was moving something heavy.



It's not until closer to 5 a.m. the following day that the man then leaves the unit, gets into the Honda and speeds away from the area.



Houston police said Campbell was arrested in Jefferson County about three hours later after DPS troopers tried to stop him. It was then that Johnson's body was found.



Investigators added in the charging documents that multiple traces of human blood were found during a search of Johnson's apartment. Campbell also had multiple injuries to his face and arms consistent with human scratch marks when he was detained.



WATCH: This is video after the chase, where authorities found a woman's body in the trunk.



This is video after the chase, where authorities found a woman's body in the trunk.


On top of claiming not to remember what happened at Johnson's apartment, documents state Campbell also couldn't remember anything about the chase.



Campbell is being held at the Jefferson County Jail on a $1 million bond. Campbell also faces additional charges of felony evading arrest, driving while intoxicated, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.



A GoFundMe account has been created for Johnson.



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