The Suspicious Unsolved Death of Timothy Johnson

On or about May 24th, authorities recovered the body of 24-year-old Timothy Johnson in the ditch by M-152 near Pleasant Road, near Dowagiac in Silver Creek Township, Cass County, Michigan.

This incident is under investigation. This accounting will be updated as more is learned.

Since the time of Timothy’s death in May, the Johnson family has consistently said there was foul play, that it could be a racial hate crime, and that they want a full investigation. People close to the incident are not satisfied with the investigation.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) says Johnson was walking on M152 on the morning of May 24^th, when he was struck and killed by a vehicle.

On or about June 20th, the CCSO recovered a vehicle. Soon thereafter they arrested its driver, Enrique Martinez, who was charged with crimes. The question becomes: is Martinez a killer or a potential second victim?

The CCSO justified their conclusion that it was a vehicular hit-and-run—rather than a targeted attack or beating—by relying on a combination of physical evidence from the body recovery scene, video surveillance, a flock camera, and the statements of the alleged hit-and-run driver.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Enrique Bejarano-Martinez on three charges related to the hit-and-run death of Timothy Johnson. The alleged hit-and-run happened on May 24 (later changed to the 21st), and the sheriff’s office arrested Martinez in mid-June.

The Martinez arrest occurred shortly after Johnson’s family held a press conference expressing frustration and demanding a broader investigation. The family publicly stated they believed his injuries were inconsistent with a crash. They raised the possibility of a targeted attack. However, according to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the incident is being prosecuted as a vehicular homicide. Authorities push back on the idea of a hate crime or domestic dispute.

While saying they are open to new evidence, the CCSO has indicated the case is essentially solved. However, as of July 7, 2026, there has not been a clear time or cause of death as should be available from forensics. DNA from the alleged vehicle should have been already available. Statements from alternative theories have not been taken. There was indication that the date/time of death was changed; if so, why? Specifically, though the body was found on May 24th, the time of death was changed to the 21st, coinciding with the car accident timing. Relevant phone records have not been gathered or analyzed.

NOTICE – PLEASE CONSIDER

The family and the public assert a full investigation is needed, and that once conducted it can deliver true justice for both Timothy Johnson and Enrique Martinez. It is unacceptable that a Black man is viciously killed and a Latino man is all-too-conveniently assigned responsibility, without a rigorous investigation. Simultaneously, there are too many un-explored open questions. All the contributing agencies must coordinate and bring the full truth to light. Everyone is aware of intense racial dynamics in the area and the potential for this case to become a broader civil rights issue.

The way the case is being pursued, a serious injustice can be inflicted on both Timothy Johnson and Enrique Martinez. Only if all the facts come out, only if a decent defense is mounted, can it be assured that socially-warped people aren’t celebrating the removal of two people of color. So, funds to support the Johnson and Martinez families are being solicited.

People Involved in the Incident and/or Investigation

1. Timothy Johnson – person who was killed.
2. Morse Daniels – mother of Timothy Johnson.
3. James Clay – father of Timothy Johnson.
4. Isheria Jackson, sister of Timothy Jackson.
5. Enrique Bejarano-Martinez – person charged with reckless driving causing death.
6. Liliana Moreno – cousin of Enrique Martinez.
7. Jackie Newman, citizen who volunteered the sighting of a truck apparently dumping a body.
8. Halie Renee Vaughn – woman that Timothy Vaughn was meeting in Cassopolis.
9. Kim Vaughn Jr. – former husband of Halie Vaughn.
10. Kim Vaughn Sr. – father-in-law of Halie Vaughn
11. Joe – person of interest at the Peck Motel, affiliated with Hailee.
12. Clint Roach – Cass County Sheriff, Cass County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).

Timeline of the Timothy Johnson Death

• May 21, 2026 – Per Family; Enrique Martinez’s beat-up car was involved in a minor accident. The car went to a salvage yard the following day,
• May 22, 2026 – Per Family; last sightings and interactions with Timothy Johnson. Timothy was making trips from Benton Harbor to see Halie Vaughn. He was visiting her in the Peck Motel in Cassopolis, described as strained conditions. Three motel units in a row were used by members of the Vaughn family. Halie was reportedly in the middle unit where she met with Timothy, with her estranged husband and father-in-law in other units.
• May XX, 2026 – Per Family. A woman being driven to the airport, Jackie Newman, volunteered observations of a blue pickup truck parked the wrong way on M152, apparently unloading a bundle that looked like a body.
• May 21, 2026 – Per MLive. CCSO updated time of death and alleged hit-and-run incident.
• May 24, 2026 – Per MLive. First reported date of the Johnson death. The body was taken straight to Western Michigan University for autopsy.
  “Earlier information released by local authorities reported the pedestrian-involved crash at 9:49 a.m. Sunday, May 24. However, in a release on Monday, the sheriff’s office updated the time and date of the incident itself to roughly 5:30 a.m. May 21.”
• May 26, 2026 – Per WNDU 16NewsNOW, The CCSO says Timothy Johnson was walking on M152 when he was hit and killed by a vehicle. The sheriff’s office says Johnson died at the scene. The crash, according to police, happened on May 24 at around 9:49 a.m.
• May XX, 2026 – Per Family; Timothy’s sister, Isheria Jackson, went to the Peck Motel where she was able to meet with the Vaughn folks. At some point, someone made disparaging (N word) remarks and threats. Living conditions at the motel raise credibility concerns. Some conversation was held while Meta glasses were in use.
• JUNE 3, 2026 – Per WNDU 16NewsNOW. “Authorities have released the vehicle description in a crash that killed a Benton Harbor man late last month in Cass County. They expected a 2010 to 2012 black Ford Taurus that should have significant driver’s side damage, according to police. No autopsy report was yet available.
• June 4, 2026 – Per Facebook of Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad, “Hit and run? Homicide?? Murder??? What happened to Timothy Johnson????”
• June 10, 2026 – Per WNDU 16NewsNOW. Cass County Sheriff Clinton Roach said no evidence points to anything other than a hit-and-run. Roach said the hit-and-run incident is being investigated only as a vehicular homicide. He said it is not a domestic dispute or a hate crime. “The information that was up out that he was beaten to death and there is no truth to that, that is for the medical examiner to determine his cause of death,” Roach said. Roach said it could take 30-60 days to have an official cause of death, but all current evidence points to a hit-and-run.

• June 19, 2026 – ABC 57News. The family of Timothy Johnson held a news conference, showing their frustration and asking for answers concerning the young man’s violent death.  Timothy’s mother, Morse, said the funeral home mortician told her that her son’s body was bloated because he had been submerged in water. Clay Johnson, father of Timothy, says he was told that 85% of his son’s bones were broken, crushed, which is not like being struck by a vehicle. Timothy’s sister, Isheria Jackson, says she has reason to think this was a hate crime. Information was withheld in order to protect the case. During court hearings, Bejarano-Martinez admitted to hitting “something” but claimed it was a trash can. He moved to Indianapolis shortly after the crash. Because of his immigration status, a detainer has been placed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the event that his bond is posted.
• June 19, 2026 – Per WNDU, WWMT, MLive, WSBT; Enrique Martinez was interviewed by CCSO Detectives and a Michigan State Trooper.

• June 20, 2026 – Per WNDU, WWMT, MLive, WSBT; Enrique Martinez was arrested.
• June 22, 2026 – Per WNDU, WWMT, MLive, WSBT; The CCSO arraigns Martinez on charges of reckless driving causing death, failure to stop at the scene, and tampering with evidence.
• June 25, 2026 – WSBT TV; Information about the hit-and-run that allegedly killed 24-year-old Timothy Johnson in Cass County. https://bit.ly/4v07AMH. Police previously found Johnson’s body, along with parts of a car, on M152 near Pleasant Street in Silver Creek Township back in late May. Police associated the parts with a 2010 Black Ford Taurus, which they were able to track down by using video footage and a flock camera. They learned the car belonged to Enrique Bejarano Martinez, who lived less than a mile away. Martinez is an undocumented immigrant to be held for ICE in any case.

MEDICAL INFORMATION

Postmortem Examination Report issued by WMU on 6/22.

The autopsy and certificate of death are anticipated.

POLICE EVIDENCE

Police report documenting the June arrest of Enrique Martinez.

The exact upcoming court dates for Enrique Bejarano-Martinez in the Michigan 4th District Court, under case number 26-0751-FY and report number 20260001807, are scheduled for Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 1:30 PM and Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 1:30 PM.

Access to Cass County Sheriff’s Office report 20260001807, regarding an active homicide investigation, requires a formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted directly to the county. Due to the nature of the case, the document is not available online and must be requested via the official FOIA form or by contacting the Records Division. To submit a request, visit Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

• Probable Cause Conference: Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 1:30 PM
• Preliminary Examination Hearing: Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 1:30 PM

1. Debris at the Scene

When deputies discovered Johnson’s body in the ditch along M-152, they also recovered fractured automotive components scattered nearby. Investigators analyzed these vehicle parts and successfully matched them to a specific model year range for a black Ford vehicle. [1, 2, 3]

2. Camera Tracking & Vehicle Recovery

Detectives utilized local surveillance video footage and Flock safety license plate readers to track the movement of vehicles in the area around the calculated time of the crash (approximately 5:30 a.m. on May 21). This digital footprint led them directly to a damaged 2010 black Ford registered to Enrique Bejarano-Martinez, who lived less than a mile from the crash site. The heavily damaged driver’s side of the car perfectly matched the debris recovered next to Johnson’s body. [1, 3]

3. The Suspect’s Confession & Tampering

Upon being questioned, Bejarano-Martinez admitted to police that he was driving the vehicle and had struck “something” in that exact location, though he claimed he thought it was only a trash can. Furthermore, investigators discovered he had actively tried to get rid of the vehicle because “it would cost too much to fix,” establishing a clear timeline of evidence tampering. [2]

4. Background Interviews & Preliminary Medical Findings

Addressing family concerns regarding a potential domestic or hate-fueled attack, Sheriff Roach confirmed that investigators interviewed the individual Johnson was traveling to see, as well as her father. The interviews yielded absolutely no evidence of a prior dispute or motive for a targeted attack. Additionally, while full autopsy and toxicology results take up to 90 days to completely finalize, the preliminary findings from the medical examiner’s office confirmed bodily trauma consistent with a high-speed vehicle impact rather than a manual beating. [1, 2, 3]

Instagram from WNDU reinforcing the incident as nothing more than a vehicle accident.