Man charged with fatally stabbing wife's godbrother, Lamar Watson, during argument in North Lawndale home

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 16:21:15 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times

Byron Johnson | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

A 45-year-old man has been charged with stabbing his wife’s godbrother, Lamar Watson, during an argument with his wife about six weeks ago in the North Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side.
Byron Johnson faces one count of first-degree murder, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

At 8:47 a.m. Oct. 25, Johnson was arguing with his wife inside their home in the 1400 block of South Avers when his wife asked him to leave, prosecutors said. She began packing up his belongings and asked her two sons to keep him out of the bedroom.

Johnson became angry that his wife’s godbrother, the 39-year-old Watson, was helping her, so he hit Watson with a crutch, prosecutors said.

Watson suggested they go outside, where they got into a fist fight, which continued back inside the home, prosecutors said.

Lamar Watson | Facebook

Watson walked away from the fight, but Johnson followed him into the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed him twice in the chest, prosecutors said. Watson was unarmed.

Johnson’s wife called police and he ran away, prosecutors said.

Watson, who lived on the same block, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died at 9:20 a.m., authorities said. An autopsy found he died of multiple stab wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.

Two steak knives were recovered from the kitchen sink, prosecutors said. Johnson’s wife and her two sons identified Johnson as the attacker.

He was arrested at 10:50 p.m. Sunday during a traffic stop in the 4400 block of West Jackson, police said. He was also wanted on a warrant for a parole violation.

In court Monday, Johnson was ordered held without bond.

Byron Johnson | Homicide Watch Chicago

Man charged with fatally stabbing wife's godbrother, Lamar Watson, during argument in North Lawndale home