Man Murders Girlfriend, Stuffs Chopped Body In Suitcases And Lives With Remains For Weeks

A man was arrested for murdering his girlfriend, dismembering her body and stuffing her remains in two suitcases in New York.

The man, identified as Justin Williams, 24, also allegedly lived with the victim's remains inside her Brooklyn apartment for about a month, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office said in a statement Monday.

Williams was arrested several weeks after the body of D'Asia Johnson, 22, was found dismembered and stuffed in suitcases inside her sixth-floor apartment, Law & Crime reported.

The dismembered body of the victim, who dated Williams for several years, was found after building personnel became concerned about not seeing Johnson for roughly a month.

Williams fled the apartment after the building personnel arrived for a wellness check. After Williams left, the building employees went back to the apartment and noticed a horrible stench. They also found a meat cleaver as well as blood in the bathtub.

Police were informed and Johnson's remains were found stuffed in two suitcases on Sept. 21.

It is believed Williams "stabbed the victim nine times – five times to the front of her torso and four times to the back" on Aug. 22, the statement read.

Officials also said Williams lived inside the victim's apartment for a month and masked the smell by using towels and cleaning products.

Williams was arraigned Monday on one count of second-degree murder and one count of concealment of a human corpse.

"This defendant is accused of the horrific murder and dismemberment of his former girlfriend," District Attorney Gonzalez said in the statement. "While we can't erase the tragic and cruel death of D'Asia Johnson, we are fully committed to bringing this defendant to justice. I hope that this prosecution brings a measure of solace to D'Asia's family and friends."

Neighbors said they regularly heard arguments from the apartment before the woman's body was found.

"A lot of fighting. Arguing, like I said," one neighbor, Jeremy, told NBC New York. "You hear arguing, banging, loud stuff, regular stuff. But you can't — like I said, if you try to interrupt and stuff, you're putting yourself in a problem you can't solve."

The victim's friend and neighbor, Stephanie Harris, said Williams would often beat her in the hallway.

"He broke her ribs, her legs, a couple months ago," Harris told NY Daily News. "She came back, she was on crutches. And he broke her apartment down, broke the TVs in her apartment. And I cried to her, like 'Listen, I don't want to see you on the news.'"

Williams was held without bail at an arraignment Monday. He is scheduled for another hearing in January. According to prosecutors, if convicted, he faces 25 years to life in prison.