RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN — A 2024 murder case that began with an emergency call for medical help has now moved closer to resolution, as the accused killer prepares for a court appearance this week.
On October 27, 2024, Murfreesboro Police responded to a residence after receiving reports of a man with head injuries. Officers discovered that 45-year-old Harold Cruz had sustained far more serious injuries than initially reported. Despite emergency aid, Cruz was pronounced dead at the scene.
As detectives with the Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) investigated, evidence suggested Cruz had been murdered during the late-night hours of October 26.One month later, a warrant was issued for the murder suspect, leading authorities to charge 40-year-old Clinton Lynn Johnson, Jr. with First Degree Murder following their detailed investigation. Johnson was initially arrested on November 13, 2024, and appeared before Judge Ben Bennett in Rutherford County General Sessions Court three months later. In January of this year (2025), the court bound the case over to the Rutherford County Grand Jury for further consideration…