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Stephen Marquis Johnson, 45, was fatally stabbed in the chest near his heart late Friday, May 16, outside the Midway Bar on East Lincoln Highway in Coatesville, according to a release from the Chester County District Attorney's Office. He died at Paoli Memorial Hospital on Saturday, May 17.
Officers were flagged down by bystanders and found Johnson lying on the ground with a puncture wound. Investigators later identified the accused killer as Darrick Coleman of Coatesville, using fingerprint evidence, surveillance video, and witness statements.
Coleman was arrested on Wednesday, June 4 and charged with Murder of the First Degree and related offenses. His preliminary arraignment was held before Magisterial District Judge Gregory Hines. He is being held at Chester County Prison without bail.
District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe called the killing “unacceptable,” adding, “We will do everything we can to get justice for the victim and his family.”
Johnson, known as “Steph” or “Studder,” was the oldest of four siblings and had a tight bond with his brother and sisters, according to his obituary published by Wright Funeral & Cremation Services. He was remembered by family as a jack-of-all-trades who loved cutting hair, training dogs, and playing games with his kids. He was a Philadelphia Eagles fan, a music lover—especially Tupac—and a man of faith who studied both the Quran and the Bible.
He leaves behind 11 children—Dapresha, Tatyana, Gianna, Xavier, Sada, Dray, Beloved, Chicago, Sky, Ky’mani, and Marty—plus a "bonus daughter", Allaja, and four grandchildren. He was predeceased by a daughter, Justice Johnson.
Johnson’s funeral was held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 31, at Tabernacle Baptist Church on Coates Street in Coatesville. The service was not livestreamed at the family’s request.
Deputy District Attorney Christopher Mowery is prosecuting the case.
Click here to read his full obituary on Wright Funeral & Cremation Services's website.
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