Mystery Still Surrounds the Devereaux Johnson Murder Case

Canton — The mysteries around Devereaux Johnson continue to swirl, and nobody is talking. 

Johnson has been held in Wayne County jail since he shot and killed Nathan Morris on August 10, who was on a walk through his Canton subdivision with his young daughter. Johnson allegedly took issue with Morris’s daughter touching mulch on his property and inexplicably used a firearm to settle the matter, shocking Metro Detroit. 

My previous reporting revealed a long and drawn-out saga of continuous terror Johnson had been inflicting on people in both Canton and Plymouth. Even more deleterious were the continuous slaps on Johnson’s hand by the 35th District Court, which was seemingly adverse to holding him accountable for repeated assaults, including attacking a police officer and an officer of the court. 

Here’s where it gets even more bizarre. Johnson was charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of felony in possession, and two other felony charges. Therein lies the first mystery: Whose gun did Johnson have, and how did he get it? Nobody will speak on the matter. Sources within the Canton and Plymouth Police departments aren’t speaking about it, citing the continuing investigation, and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office directed me to the official case update log on the website.   

Even more mysterious is the total and complete silence on the matter by Michigan’s political leaders. After past shootings, Whitmer & Co. have been ready to lament the very existence of firearm violence in Michigan. Scrolling through the social media feeds of Gretchen Whitmer, Jocelyn Benson, Dana Nessel, Kelly Breen, Mallory McMorrow, Dayna Polehanki—all staunch proponents of strict gun control and public supporters of Michigan red flag laws—I found… nothing. Very interesting and, dare I say, mysterious.  

Wayne County Prosecutor’s office spokesperson Maria Miller informed me that Johnson’s next court date is November 12. His competency will be reviewed and determined prior to a potential jury trial. The judge assigned to that hearing is James Plakus, who has a prior history with Johnson. 

Plakus—well-known as a “tough on crime” judge—was listed as the judge of record in Johnson’s hearing on the aforementioned assault on a police officer in 2023, but when sentencing Johnson, he slapped him on the wrist with a one-year suspended sentence and a $450 fine. 

Yes, you read that right. Johnson assaulted a police officer in the courthouse, and Judge Plakus let him walk right out the front door with a minor fine tantamount to a traffic infraction. 

It gets even worse. In July, Plakus terminated the probation for that matter, citing Johnson’s meeting all the criteria for early discharge, and prior reporting indicates no behavioral or mental health evaluations were conducted. 

Johnson’s early probation and discharge were conducted under the newer criteria, signed into law by Gretchen Whitmer in January 2021, which was designed as part of a larger bail-reform package supported by both Whitmer and Attorney Dana Nessel. 

Under these new reforms, defendants who display a modicum of good behavior, meet certain rehabilitative goals, and are perceived as no longer a threat by the presiding judge can have half the duration of their probationary period discharged. These reforms resulted in Johnson being able to gun down his neighbor in broad daylight in front of a small child. 

In case you’re still standing, you better sit down for this one. Judge Plakus didn’t know about Johnson’s prior forced sexual assault convections in Nevada and Illinois and his presence listed on the State of Illinois Sex Offender website, according to sources inside the 35th District Court. It seems no one even bothered to google the defendant’s name.

In an interview with the Detroit Metro Times, Judge Plakus dumped the entire debacle into the lap of his probation officer and claimed to not know about Johnson’s felonious record as a sex criminal. As a result, he treated Johnson as a first-time offender.    

All of this is to say, Johnson has a competency hearing coming up quite soon. Are Judge Plakus and the 35th District Court competent to actually hear it?

The last mystery is Johnson himself. To date, his seemingly affluent lifestyle is unexplainable. No one has accounted for his taste in expensive foreign vehicles. He has no record of employment over the last several years. 

His presumed girlfriend, Kazumi Hase, who is the owner and taxpayer listed on the Canton home where Johnson resided in for the last few years, has been keeping a low profile. My attempts to speak with her were unsuccessful. Sources living on the street claim to rarely, if ever, see her coming or going from the residence; however, the home remains in good condition, indicating it’s being maintained. A source on the street shared, with some humor, “Somebody is taking out the trash on garbage day.”

When I drove past the home of Nathan Morris, a small bike was in the driveway, leaning against the garage. Some toys were on the porch. Seemingly a normal suburban family home. But one family member was missing. 

J.Z. Delorean is a writer for Michigan Enjoyer and has been a Metro Detroit-based professional investigator for 22 years. Follow him on X @Stainless31.