Entrance to a flood control basin where a woman’s body was found. Photo by Stephanie Rivera.
UPDATE | The 29-year-old Signal Hill woman found dead at the bottom of a flood control basin earlier this month was found to have been strangled, according to online records from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Samantha Lang’s body was found at 1:30AM on December 6. Investigators located her ex-boyfriend, 41-year-old Justin James Johnson of Signal Hill and arrested him a few days later, on December 9.
He was arraigned yesterday.
PREVIOUSLY: Suspect Arrested in Connection with Murder of Young Signal Hill Woman
On 12/14/16 at 5:39PM | Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) homicide detectives today filed murder charges against 41-year-old Justin James Johnson of Signal Hill, who is wanted in connection with the murder of 29-year-old Samantha Lang, whose body was found earlier this month at the bottom of a flood control basin.
According to the LBPD, Lang’s vehicle was found on December 5, 2016, abandoned and vandalized, leading officers to the discovery of Lang’s body.
During the investigation, officers discovered information that led them to Lang’s ex-boyfriend, Johnson. He was arrested by LBPD detectives in Los Angeles on December 9.
Today, Johnson was arraigned in Long Beach Superior Court and will be held at LA County Men’s Jail without bail. Detectives presented their case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office today.
PREVIOUSLY: Toxicology Tests Ordered Following Autopsy of Young Woman Found Dead in Long Beach Tuesday
On 12/08/16 at 5:10PM | Toxicology tests have been ordered by the coroner after a scheduled autopsy of a 29-year-old Signal Hill woman found dead in Long Beach on Tuesday was completed, a coroner’s official said.
“It’s probably going to be weeks before the results of toxicology and the other tests that were ordered after the autopsy come back,” coroner’s Assistant Ed Winter told City News Service. “So the cause of death was deferred.”
Samantha Lang was found on in a flood control basin adjacent to the Los Angeles River on the 1000 block of West Carson Street at 1:30AM on Tuesday, December 6, officials stated. Her body was located hours after officers found her abandoned vehicle nearby.
Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the Long Beach Police Department at (562) 570-7260.
City News Service contributed to this report.
PREVIOUSLY: UPDATE: Long Beach Police Seek Public’s Help After Young Woman Found Dead Near LA River
12/6/16 at 5:36PM | Authorities are asking for the public’s help surrounding the death of a young woman whose body was found near her vehicle Tuesday in a flood control basin adjacent to the Los Angeles River in Long Beach.
Police discovered her body at 1:30AM today after failing to locate her when they found her vehicle abandoned yesterday morning in a flood control basin adjacent to the river on the 1000 block of West Carson Street, according to the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD).
The woman, who was in her 20s, will be identified once next of kin has been notified, said coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter. An autopsy was pending to determine her cause of death.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call Homicide Detectives Teryl Hubert, Scott Lasch, Michael Hubbard, or Ben Vargas at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 1(800) 222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smart phone (available at the Apple App store and Google Play), or visiting http://www.lacrimestoppers.org/
City News Service contributed to this report.
PREVIOUSLY: Woman’s Body Found Near LA River; Homicide Detectives Investigating
12/6/16 at 11:32AM | A woman’s body was found near the Los Angeles River in Long Beach early Tuesday morning after police responded to a call of a suspicious vehicle in the area, authorities said.
Officers found the body at about 1:30AM on the 1000 block of West Carson Street, according to Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) spokesman Sgt. Brad Johnson.
Police were originally called to the area at 10:35AM on Monday, December 5 regarding “a suspicious vehicle in the flood control basin,” Johnson said.
That investigation turned into a critical missing case when officers could not locate the registered owner of the vehicle, he said, leading officers back to the area where they eventually found the body.
The incident is currently being investigated by homicide detectives.
Authorities have not yet identified the victim and no suspect information is available.
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