Five weeks after UNT worker Cory Johnson was shot in his own apartment, his murder remains unsolved. Johnson's sister is desperately waiting for a break in the case.
“Very funny, active, he was a church boy, he wouldn't miss a service,” Johnson’s sister, Tiphony Barton.
Barton says she and her brother were “two peas in a pod,” and never missed a call or text.
“When he didn't text me, I knew something wasn't right,” said Barton.
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She says she last texted Johnson on January 11, hours before Denton police were called to his apartment complex on a "shots heard call."
Police discovered Johnson, 43, shot multiple times but alive in his apartment on Eagle Drive in Denton. He managed to speak to first responders before he was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead.
“It hurts, it hurts real bad because now I can’t depend or lean on my brother or call him when I want to,” said Barton.
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Because of the ongoing investigation, Denton police haven't revealed what Johnson said before he died.
When officers arrived, they say they found his apartment door “slightly ajar.”
“He always locks his door,” said Barton.
Johnson worked in food services at UNT but volunteered at a local charity and Barton says, he never met a stranger. She says she believes Johnson’s killer may have been someone who took advantage of his kindness.
“I really do believe so that he helped someone who probably needed money, he didn't have it and they did what they did,” said Barton
Barton. a pastor at The Dwelling Place Transformation Center, says she's named the food bank at her church Cory's Food Foundation, a tribute to her brother whose death remains shrouded in mystery.
“I wish somebody would come forward and say something,” said Barton.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Denton police or Crimestoppers at 800-388-TIPS.
Callers can remain anonymous.
