Fake Cops Kidnap 22 Year Old Man Outside North Miami Apartment, Execute Him and Dump His Body 40 Miles Away

Fake Police Officers Kidnap 22 Year Old Man in North Miami Before His Body Is Found 40 Miles Away, Suspect Charged With Murder

A disturbing kidnapping and murder investigation in South Florida has led to the arrest of a 21 year old man accused of participating in a coordinated abduction involving suspects disguised as police officers. Surveillance footage reportedly captured the victim being handcuffed and forced into a vehicle outside his apartment complex. Hours later, he was found dead more than 40 miles away, while investigators discovered a burned getaway vehicle and began searching for additional suspects.

Surveillance Cameras Capture a Brazen Kidnapping in North Miami

NORTH MIAMI, FLORIDA — A 21 year old man is facing first degree murder, kidnapping, attempted murder, and law enforcement impersonation charges following a disturbing October 4 abduction in which several suspects allegedly disguised themselves as police officers, handcuffed a 22 year old victim, and forced him into a vehicle outside a North Miami apartment complex. The victim was subsequently found dead more than 40 miles away, while investigators recovered a burned vehicle believed to have been used in the crime.

According to CBS News Miami, Devise Johnson appeared before a judge following his arrest in connection with the kidnapping and killing of 22 year old Edric Bthun, whose surname was also rendered as Bthoon in portions of the reporting. Johnson was ordered held without bond on the reported charges, which include first degree murder, kidnapping, attempted first degree murder, and impersonating a law enforcement officer resulting in death.

Investigators believe five men participated in the incident, which began when suspects wearing police style shirts approached the victim outside his apartment complex. Surveillance footage reportedly shows two men handcuffing him, taking his keys, and forcing him into the back seat of a gray Toyota Camry. What initially appeared to resemble a law enforcement detention was, according to investigators, a coordinated criminal abduction that ultimately ended in the victim’s death.

The case has raised serious concerns about the use of police impersonation to gain control of victims, particularly when suspects employ clothing, restraints, and other tactics associated with legitimate law enforcement. Authorities have not publicly established a definitive motive for the kidnapping and killing, and investigators expect additional arrests as they work to identify and locate the remaining participants.

Suspects Allegedly Wore Police Shirts and Handcuffed the Victim

The October 4 incident unfolded outside a North Miami apartment complex, where surveillance cameras reportedly recorded two men dressed in police-style shirts confronting Bthun. According to investigators, the men placed him in handcuffs, seized his keys, and forced him into a gray Toyota Camry. The footage has become a central piece of evidence because it documents the alleged abduction and the suspects’ apparent effort to impersonate law enforcement officers.

The use of police style clothing and handcuffs is especially significant because it suggests the suspects attempted to exploit the authority associated with legitimate officers. A person confronted by individuals appearing to be police may reasonably believe they are required to comply, creating an opportunity for criminals to gain control without immediately resorting to overt violence. Investigators allege that the suspects used this appearance of authority to remove Bthun from the apartment complex against his will.

CBS News Miami reported that five men were believed to have participated in the overall operation, although the precise roles of each individual have not been fully established publicly. Investigators have not disclosed whether the suspects had any prior relationship with the victim, whether the kidnapping was planned over an extended period, or whether the group intended to obtain money, property, or information. Those unanswered questions are important because the alleged crime involved more than a spontaneous confrontation. The reported use of disguises, handcuffs, a getaway vehicle, and multiple participants suggests coordination, but the evidence released so far does not establish why Bthun was targeted or what the suspects intended to accomplish after taking him.

Investigators Describe a Shootout at the Victim’s Apartment

The investigation also involves a reported exchange of gunfire at the victim’s apartment. According to CBS News Miami’s account of the allegations, Johnson went to Bthun’s apartment after the kidnapping, where another man opened fire in his direction. Investigators allege that Johnson returned fire, creating a separate violent confrontation connected to the abduction.

The reported shootout helps explain the attempted first degree murder charge against Johnson, although the precise sequence of events, the identities of everyone involved, and the circumstances surrounding the exchange of gunfire remain matters for investigators and the courts to establish. The available reporting does not conclusively explain whether the confrontation was connected to an attempted robbery, a search for particular property, or another objective.

Authorities have not publicly established a definitive connection between the reported gunfire at the apartment and the circumstances in which Bthun was killed. The two events form part of the same broader investigation, but the precise timeline and actions of the alleged participants will be critical to determining individual criminal responsibility.

Victim Found Dead More Than 40 Miles Away

The kidnapping investigation became a homicide case after Bthun was found dead along a roadway more than 40 miles from the North Miami apartment complex where he had been abducted. The discovery established that the victim had been transported a considerable distance after the surveillance footage captured his removal from the property.

Investigators also located a burned vehicle believed to have been used in the crime, reportedly just blocks from where the victim’s body was discovered. The condition of the vehicle has raised additional investigative questions about whether someone deliberately attempted to destroy evidence, although the public reporting does not establish who set the vehicle on fire or the precise circumstances surrounding the blaze.

The distance between the original kidnapping location and the discovery of the body presents a significant challenge for investigators attempting to reconstruct the victim’s final movements. Detectives must establish where the vehicle traveled, who was inside it, when the victim was killed, and whether additional locations were involved before his body was abandoned.

The available reporting does not establish the victim’s exact time of death, the full medical findings, or the specific events that occurred during the journey. Those details may become clearer as investigators examine surveillance recordings, vehicle evidence, communications records, forensic findings, and witness statements.

Johnson Appears in Court Facing Murder and Kidnapping Charges

Johnson’s initial court appearance marked a major development in the investigation, with prosecutors pursuing serious felony charges arising from the alleged kidnapping, shooting, and homicide. CBS News Miami reported that he faces first degree murder, kidnapping, attempted first degree murder, and a charge related to impersonating a law enforcement officer resulting in death.

The reported charges carry potentially severe criminal penalties, although the precise sentencing exposure will depend on the statutory offenses, formal charging documents, and any subsequent decisions by prosecutors. First-degree murder is among the most serious crimes under Florida law, and a conviction can result in life imprisonment or, in qualifying cases where prosecutors seek and obtain it, the death penalty.

The decision to hold Johnson without bond reflects the seriousness of the allegations and the court’s initial custody determination. It does not constitute a finding of guilt, and the prosecution must prove the charges through the criminal justice process. Johnson is presumed innocent unless and until he is convicted. As the case proceeds, prosecutors will need to establish the defendant’s alleged role in the abduction and killing, the evidence connecting him to the other participants, and the legal elements of each offense. Defense attorneys will have opportunities to challenge the evidence, question witnesses, and contest the prosecution’s interpretation of events.

Police Expect Additional Arrests as Motive Remains Unknown

Although Johnson has been arrested, authorities believe additional individuals participated in the kidnapping and subsequent events. Investigators reportedly identified five men as being involved in the broader incident, suggesting the case remains active and that further arrests could follow as detectives develop additional evidence.

One of the most important unanswered questions is why Bthun was targeted. Court documents discussed in the CBS News Miami report did not establish a definitive motive, leaving investigators to determine whether the crime involved a personal dispute, a planned robbery, an attempt to obtain information, or another objective. None of those possibilities should be treated as an established explanation without supporting evidence.

The investigation is also expected to focus on the relationship between the individuals involved, the use of police style clothing, the acquisition of handcuffs, and the movement of the gray Toyota Camry. The reported destruction of the getaway vehicle may complicate the forensic investigation, although surviving physical evidence and digital records could still help reconstruct the sequence of events.

For detectives, identifying the remaining participants will be essential to determining who planned the kidnapping, who transported the victim, who participated in the shooting, and who was responsible for the actions that caused his death. Those distinctions could affect the charges filed against each suspect and the evidence prosecutors must present in court.

A Disturbing Case of Alleged Police Impersonation and Coordinated Violence

The North Miami case illustrates the particular danger posed by criminals who allegedly impersonate law enforcement officers to gain control of a victim. Police uniforms, official looking clothing, and handcuffs are symbols of legitimate authority, but their misuse can make a planned abduction appear to be a routine detention until the victim has already been restrained and removed from the scene.

The alleged use of these tactics, combined with the reported involvement of multiple suspects, an exchange of gunfire, the transportation of the victim over a considerable distance, and the discovery of a burned vehicle, has made the investigation especially troubling. What began outside an apartment complex in North Miami developed into a multijurisdictional homicide investigation involving several distinct crime scenes and a growing list of unanswered questions.

Authorities have not yet publicly explained what motivated the alleged operation or how responsibility for the killing may be divided among the participants. The investigation remains active, and additional arrests or court filings could provide a clearer account of what happened between the moment Bthun was forced into the Camry and the discovery of his body. For now, one suspect is in custody, investigators believe others were involved, and a 22 year old man is dead following an abduction carried out by individuals allegedly posing as police officers.

The most disturbing aspect of the case may be how the kidnapping began: in public, outside the victim’s own apartment complex, with suspects allegedly using the appearance of police authority to take control of a young man who would later be found dead more than 40 miles away.

Sources and Further Reporting

• CBS News Miami — Original Report on North Miami Kidnapping and Murder Investigation