ENGLEWOOD, NJ – Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella recently announced that Talek Lawson of Englewood, NJ, was sentenced to 30 years in New Jersey State Prison after being convicted of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and hindering apprehension in connection with the death of Dakota Johnson.
On December 12, 2018, Lawson and co-defendants Zachary Anderson, Justin Dula, and Corey McKay were at a bar in Bogota, along with the victim, Dakota Johnson.
After an altercation, Lawson shot Johnson in the chest, killing him. A trial began in March 2020 but was declared a mistrial due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On November 18, 2022, a jury convicted Lawson of all counts after a 6-week trial. Lawson was sentenced to 30 years in prison with a 30-year period of parole ineligibility.