A Philadelphia man has been convicted of shooting his boyfriend to death and then setting his body on fire in order to keep people from finding out about their gay relationship.
Prosecutors said that 23-year-old Kylen Pratt searched online for the phrase “having sex with dead bodies” after looking for news coverage about the victim’s body being found by police.
‘It is absolutely one the most abhorrent crimes I have ever prosecuted. It is difficult to talk about.’
Pratt was convicted of first-degree murder after 20-year-old Naasire Johnson was found dead in 2022.
Prosecutors said Johnson was in a relationship with Pratt and that he had gone to his home on Feb. 17, where he was shot in the neck with a 9mm gun. Pratt then transported Johnson’s body to a remote area of a park, where he wrapped it in cloth, plastic, and duct tape before lighting it on fire.
Police went to Pratt’s home based on an anonymous tip and found a large bleach stain, various blood stains, and a weapon consistent with the bullet that killed the victim.
Cell phone data placed the victim at Pratt’s home and also Pratt at the park. It also indicated that he searched for “murdering in cold blood,” “having sex with dead bodies,” and “traits of a psychopath.”
“This is an individual who was killed because he was gay and because the man who killed him didn’t want anyone to find out that he was in a relationship with him or he had sex with other men,” said Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope. “Plain and simple.”
Pratt was sentenced to life in prison and to pay restitution to the victim’s family of $18,000. Johnson had recently graduated from high school and was going to attend community college when he was murdered.
“It is absolutely one the most abhorrent crimes I have ever prosecuted. It is difficult to talk about,” Pope added.
A video news report about the incident can be viewed on YouTube.
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