Florida Cold Case Finally Cracked After Suspect Arrested Nearly 10 Years After Deadly Tampa Robbery Killing

TAMPA, FLORIDA — A murder case that sat unsolved for nearly a decade has now led to an arrest after investigators say advances in forensic technology and years of cold case work finally helped detectives identify the man responsible.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Marqui Newton in connection with the 2016 shooting death of Saadyar “Sy” Johnson, a homicide investigators say happened during a targeted armed robbery in Tampa.

According to investigators, the shooting happened on May 3, 2016, at the Del Rio Apartments on North 50th Street in Hillsborough County. Deputies responded to multiple 911 calls and a ShotSpotter gunfire alert after reports of shots fired inside the apartment complex.

When deputies arrived, they found Johnson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he later died from his injuries. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide.

Investigators quickly believed Johnson had been intentionally targeted during a robbery and identified Newton as a possible suspect early in the investigation. But despite suspicions and investigative leads, authorities said they did not have enough evidence at the time to make an arrest.

The case eventually went cold.

For years, detectives continued reviewing evidence while the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit kept searching for new leads. Investigators say the breakthrough finally came after detectives reopened the investigation using newer forensic technology and additional witness interviews.

According to the sheriff’s office, investigators in 2025 located previously unknown witnesses and re-interviewed people connected to the original investigation. Authorities also worked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct additional DNA testing on evidence connected to the homicide.

Detectives say the new forensic results and witness information gave them enough evidence to move forward with charges.

On Wednesday, investigators obtained a warrant charging Newton with first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm. The following day, Newton was taken into custody in Brevard County through a joint effort involving the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.

Authorities say Newton is expected to be transported back to Hillsborough County to face the charges.

Sheriff Chad Chronister praised the work of the Cold Case Unit and said investigators never stopped pursuing justice in the case despite the years that had passed.

The arrest is now bringing renewed attention to how cold case investigations are increasingly being solved through advancements in DNA testing, digital evidence review, and long-term investigative work. In recent years, multiple decades-old Florida homicide cases have been reopened and solved after forensic breakthroughs allowed investigators to revisit evidence that could not previously be analyzed at the time of the original crimes.

For Johnson’s family, the arrest marks the first major breakthrough in a case that remained unanswered for nearly ten years.

The investigation remains ongoing as prosecutors prepare for court proceedings in Hillsborough County.