Justin Williams, 27, was sentenced to 26 years to life in prison on Wednesday for murdering and dismembering his ex-girlfriend.
The Harlem man learned his fate in Brooklyn Supreme Court for the August 2022 killing of D’Asia Johnson, 22, inside her East New York apartment.
Williams stabbed Johnson multiple times in her torso and back before dismembering her body with a meat cleaver, prosecutors said.
He then stashed her chopped-up remains in garbage bags inside the apartment for nearly a month.
The killer used towels and cleaning products to mask the smell of her decomposing body.
He left all the windows open as Johnson’s family desperately searched for her.
Williams continued living in Johnson’s apartment after the murder.
He impersonated her to call out of work so she could keep receiving paychecks.
He used that cash to bring prostitutes to the apartment.
The killer also used Johnson’s public benefits to buy himself food.
He brought his adolescent son to the apartment as her remains decomposed nearby.
Williams kept trying to conceal Johnson’s death from her concerned family.
Her remains were only discovered after suspicious building personnel conducted a wellness check and contacted police.
The pair had been in a romantic relationship for several years.
During that time, Williams repeatedly abused her, prosecutors added.
Johnson was a protected party under an order of protection requiring him to stay away from her at the time of the murder.
Williams was convicted of multiple charges during a June jury trial.
These included second-degree murder, concealment of a human corpse, fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, second-degree criminal impersonation, and fifth-degree welfare fraud.
“D’Asia Johnson suffered horrific violence at the hands of this defendant, who then compounded that cruelty with conduct that showed a staggering disregard for her life, her dignity, and the loved ones desperately searching for her,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.
“He has now been held accountable for that horrific brutality, and I hope D’Asia’s family can find some measure of solace and justice in today’s sentence,” Gonzalez continued.
In the viral moment that first drew national attention, Johnson had come home from work on August 21, 2022, and never left the apartment again.
Building workers grew suspicious after noticing a foul odor and flies.
They requested a wellness check that led police to discover the gruesome scene.
Williams was arrested shortly after the discovery.
He had been staying on and off at Johnson’s apartment during their tumultuous relationship.
The case highlighted devastating failures in protecting domestic violence victims.
Johnson’s family had been searching for her for weeks while Williams maintained his macabre deception.
Williams is expected to serve his sentence in a New York State correctional facility.