A judge ruled Tuesday that a plea from one of the suspects involved in a 2020 Homewood killing would be changed to “guilty but mentally ill.”

Marlon Johnson, 33 of Pittsburgh entered a guilty plea in September for one count of third-degree murder and one count of conspiracy.

Johnson, along with his cousin Madera Johnson, 47, of Pittsburgh, were accused of killing 63-year-old Roger Brown after a fight in Homewood North in June 2020.

Police were called to the 7200 block of Frankstown Avenue after they received reports of a man who was “assaulted and bleeding from the head,” according to the criminal complaint.

Mr. Brown was unresponsive and taken to the hospital where he died two days later.

A witness to the incident told police that Madera Johnson had robbed Mr. Brown the week before and when they happened to run into each other the night of the assault, he called her an expletive.

After that Madera called over Marlon and the two attacked Mr. Brown, according to court documents.

Both pleaded guilty and at that time, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kevin Sasinoski said that at the time of sentencing he would decide whether or not Marlon Johnson’s plea would be changed to guilty but mentally ill.

As a result, Marlon Johnson has been sentenced to 14 to 30 years in the state penitentiary, according to the district attorney’s office

First Published: January 5, 2022, 2:56 a.m.