Milwaukee man Terry Johnson has pleaded guilty to felony murder in connection with the 2022 beating death of Rodney Surprise. Johnson reached a plea deal, resulting in the dismissal of a robbery charge. He is set to be sentenced next year. Another man, Marvin Millner, was previously sentenced to 19 years in prison for his involvement in the case. Court records reveal that the incident occurred on October 25, 2022, when police responded to a battery complaint in Milwaukee. The victim, Surprise, was found unconscious and later died from multiple blunt force injuries. FOX6 News Milwaukee reported
MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man named Terry Johnson has pleaded guilty to felony murder in connection with the 2022 beating death of Rodney Surprise. The trial has been brought to an end with Johnson’s guilty plea.
According to court records, Johnson reached a plea deal with prosecutors on Wednesday, resulting in the dismissal of a charge of robbery with use of force. Johnson’s sentencing has been scheduled for next year.
Johnson is one of two men charged in the death of Rodney Surprise. The other man, Marvin Millner, was sentenced to 19 years in prison in May after pleading guilty to felony murder and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent.
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Case details
A criminal complaint states that the incident took place on the night of October 25, 2022, near 5th and Chase in Milwaukee’s south side. Police were called to the scene after receiving a battery complaint and found Rodney Surprise lying unconscious on the pavement.
Surprise was taken to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy, which revealed that Surprise died from multiple blunt force injuries.
The investigation uncovered surveillance footage from a nearby gas station showing three men assaulting the victim. Terry Johnson and Marvin Millner were identified in the video. The third assailant remains unidentified.
According to the complaint, the video footage shows Rodney Surprise arriving at the gas station in his car. He was confronted by Marvin Millner and the unidentified third man after exiting the vehicle. At one point, Surprise attempted to get back into his car, but Millner and the third man prevented him from doing so. Terry Johnson then emerged from the gas station’s convenience store, and Surprise went inside.
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Surprise remained in the store for approximately 20 minutes. According to the complaint, Johnson and the third man entered the store and forcibly grabbed Surprise by the back of his sweatshirt collar. The third man proceeded to punch Surprise, causing him to fall to the ground. Eventually, Surprise was dragged outside, where Millner and the third man went through his pockets. The third man continued to assault Surprise before leaving with Johnson.
The complaint further states that while Rodney Surprise lay on the pavement, severely beaten, Marvin Millner got into Surprise’s car. In his effort to regain control, Surprise crawled towards his car, managed to open the door, and grabbed Millner. Millner threw him to the ground and drove away in the vehicle, leaving Surprise motionless.
According to a store clerk, one of the assailants yelled at Rodney Surprise, demanding payment for $40 worth of items. Police later interviewed Terry Johnson and Marvin Millner.
Johnson informed the police that he knew the other two men by their street names and that they believed the victim owed them money due to his involvement in a previous incident. Johnson admitted to dragging Surprise out of the store by the back of his hoodie.
Millner also told the police that he knew the other two men by their street names. He stated that while waiting outside the store, he was aware that the other two would confront the victim. Millner confessed to grabbing Surprise’s keys from his hand and driving off in his car. He acknowledged being under the influence of crack cocaine at the time.
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