PA Man Convicted for Grisly Murder of Romantic Partner He Wanted to Keep Secret: DA

23-year-old Kylen Pratt (above left) was found guilty by a jury last week for the First-Degree Murder of 20-year-old Naasire Johnson (above right) in 2022. Per the Philadelphia’s District Attorney’s Officethe pair were “in a romantic relationship at the time of Johnson’s murder.”

“This is an individual who was killed because he was gay and because the man who killed him did not want anyone to find out that he was in a relationship with him,” said Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope in a press conference, before claiming Pratt didn’t want anyone to know “he had sex with other men.”

“Plain and simple. It is absolutely one of the most abhorrent crimes I have ever prosecuted,” he added.

The murder happened in the early morning hours of February 17, 2022 — after Johnson allegedly took an Uber from his home in West Philadelphia to Pratt’s in the Brewerytown area. Per the DA, “Pratt shot Johnson in the neck shortly after the victim’s arrival,” before reported wrapping the body in cloth, plastic and duct tape, transporting it to a “remote” area of ​​Fairmount Park and setting it on fire.

Prosecutors said Johnson’s “badly burned remains” were found later that day by a couple walking their dog in the park. The damage to his remains was so bad, Johnson could only be identified via DNA analysis.

Authorities honed in on Pratt after an anonymous tip and, after obtaining a search warrant, used cell phone data to place him with Johnson at the time of his murder, as well as in Fairmount Park that same morning. Carpet and hardwood flooring in his home was also found “drenched” in the victim’s blood, despite a portion of the rug being “heavily bleached.” A gun also “provided forensic evidence linking Pratt to the crime,” the DA said.

Even more disturbing were some of the Google searches allegedly discovered on Pratt’s phone, as prosecutors claim he looked up, “having sex with dead bodies,” “traits of a psychopath” and “killing in cold blood.” He also allegedly looked up news coverage about the discovery of Johnson’s remains.

He was arrested on June 21, 2022 and convicted of First-Degree Murder, Abuse of Corpse, Tampering with Evidence, and Possession of an Instrument of Crime.

Last week, he was given a mandatory sentence of life in state incarceration without the possibility of parole, followed by a consecutive period of 4.5 to 9 years.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.