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Message from man who found body in trash can
The man who discovered the body in a trash can in Minneapolis, speaks out after the discovery as Minneapolis police investigate the murder.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It was a grisly discovery -- a murder victim, shot to death, his body stuffed into a trash bin inside the detached garage of a vacant north Minneapolis home. Several days later, there have still been no arrests.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner has identified the victim as 51-year-old Reid Johnson. The man who discovered Johnson’s body is a local, part-time real estate agent who was there to host an open house last Sunday afternoon.
"It is just evil, evil. That is what I saw there, absolute evil," Realtor Josh Fredrickson told FOX 9’s Paul Blume.
Fredrickson said he is struggling, attempting to come to grips with the brutality of the crime. It is believed Johnson was shot to death somewhere else and thrown away like trash on 30th Avenue North.
On Saturday, Fredrickson took a photograph of what is presumed to be a suspect vehicle in the case. It did not belong to the man who owned the property. The very next day, the Jeep was gone, a pile of trash left behind in a bin with plastic blue sheeting. That is where Fredrickson found Johnson’s body with the homeowner alongside.
"We set the garbage can upright, and he moved the plastic, and he screamed, ‘There’s a dead body in there.’ And of course, I did not believe him right away. And then I looked, and there was a dead body in the garbage can," the homeowner previously told FOX 9.
Minneapolis police have not said much publicly about the case in the days since, only that it is an active and open investigation. There are cameras on a church right next door to the home that might provide some additional evidence beyond the crime scene in the garage.
As for the victim, Johnson was a father, who those close to him described as a beautiful person inside and out, but one who struggled with addiction.
He has a lengthy criminal history that landed him in prison, and left some wondering if Johnson’s past demons with drugs caught up with him.
His sister, who asked to remain anonymous, provided a statement to Blume saying, "The person that we know and love was incredibly sweet and kind-hearted and had the best sense of humor. He loved to tell stories about our childhood, and he absolutely loved to laugh and literally had the best, most contagious laugh that you ever heard. We are absolutely devastated by this loss, and he is going to be fiercely missed."
A friend, who also asked FOX 9 to conceal her identity, added, "He was a good friend of mine. He and I had a bond that was, no matter what, if I needed Reid, he would help me. He was my friend. I wish I could have been there when he needed me."
"You know, this poor victim's family, I want to see some good come out of it," said Fredrickson.
Tragically, this is not Fredrickson’s first brush with the pain, shock, and disbelief of homicidal violence and the haunting question of why? His sister, Katie Fredrickson, was murdered as well. She was shot to death by someone she cared about and tried to help. Her brother provided a raw, personal victim impact statement about the loss in court just a year ago.
"My mother is starting to come out of it, but of course, it destroyed her," explained Fredrickson. "And, you know, that is what brought me to the place that I went after discovering this [body], I just thought, I mean, this person's family."
Fredrickson explained that it is almost too much, "All this pain and agony, it has fostered a perspective inside of me. It's just, you know, here is the deal, kindness costs nothing, right?"
Fredrickson has spent the week pouring out his emotions in social media posts, praying for more humanity in a world that has recently felt so dark.
"I am looking for the diamond in this bucket of mud and sludge. You know, if there is something I can do, if there is someone I can connect with, if there is an organization that can be created, if we can just start to get this message out there that there is help and things like this do not need to happen. If we can get out there and just spread a message of loving one another," he said. "The universe is telling me, God is telling me, you know, go out there, help people, love people, and try and teach others to do the same."