A Portage man already serving a long prison term for killing his parents is back in the spotlight, this time in connection with a cold missing-teen case that has haunted Kalamazoo County for years.
Nicholas Alexander Johnson, 33, appeared in Kalamazoo County court this week as prosecutors pushed ahead with new charges tied to the 2018 disappearance of 17-year-old Bonifacio “Facio” Peña, whose body has never been found. A preliminary examination that began last month continued today in Kalamazoo County District Court.
New charges filed
According to FOX 17, prosecutors recently authorized an open murder investigation and a slate of weapons charges against Johnson. Portage public-safety officials say he was the last person seen with Peña.
The new counts include two felony-firearm charges, one felon-in-possession charge, and a carrying a concealed-weapon charge. Authorities said Johnson will be transferred from the Michigan Department of Corrections to the Kalamazoo County Jail for arraignment on the new case.
Already behind bars for parents' deaths
Johnson is already serving a 29-to-69-year sentence after pleading guilty to the 2021 killings of his parents, Gary and Laura Johnson. Investigators later found their bodies buried in the Gourdneck State Game Area.
That homicide case prompted detectives to dust off old leads in Peña’s disappearance and helped shape prosecutors’ decision to file the open-murder information in the teen’s case, as reported by ClickOnDetroit.
What investigators say
During the preliminary examination, a Portage detective testified that officers searched a swampy area west of Oakland Drive and south of Centre Avenue near Johnson’s home. Investigators also said Peña’s phone had been in Johnson’s possession and was later destroyed.
Authorities acknowledged they have no remains to present but told the court they believe circumstantial evidence supports an open murder investigation. Judge Becket J. Jones began hearing testimony on April 29 and continued the hearing today. He said he would decide next Friday whether there is enough evidence to bind the case over to a higher court, according to MLive.
Legal status and next steps
In Michigan, an “open murder” information lets prosecutors charge a homicide without specifying first- or second-degree murder, leaving the exact degree to be decided at trial if the case is bound over. Preliminary examinations are limited hearings meant only to determine whether there is enough evidence to send a case to circuit court. If Judge Jones binds Johnson’s case over, it will move to the Kalamazoo County Circuit Court for further proceedings, as outlined by Justia.
Victim's case remains unsolved
Bonifacio “Facio” Peña was last seen in Portage on May 19, 2018, when he was 17. Since then, family and friends have pushed authorities for answers as the years have passed, with no remains recovered and no resolution.
Peña’s disappearance is still officially unsolved and is listed in public missing-person databases. The Charley Project summarizes the long-running leads and searches in the case.
