Man charged with murder after bodies of 2 Connersville people pulled from Fort Wayne river; Richmond PD denies victims were police informants
Dominique Washington is charged with murder in the deaths of Matthew Johnson and Christina Dixon, whose bodies were found in the St. Marys River
Man charged with murder after bodies of 2 Connersville people pulled from Fort Wayne river; Richmond PD denies victims were police informants
Dominique Washington is charged with murder in the deaths of Matthew Johnson and Christina Dixon, whose bodies were found in the St. Marys River.
A 29-year-old man has been charged with murder in the deaths of two people from Connersville whose bodies were pulled from an Allen County river on Friday.
The Richmond Police Department said in multiple statements that court documents stating the two people killed were serving as police informants for the department are not correct.
Dominique Washington is charged with killing 41-year-old Matthew Johnson and 40-year-old Christina Dixon, whose bodies were found in the St. Marys River in Fort Wayne on Sept. 20, 2024.
The Allen County Coroner’s Office ruled both deaths homicides, stating that Johnson’s cause of death is a gunshot wound and stab wound, while Dixon’s is strangulation and suffocation.
Court documents filed by the Fort Wayne Police Department stated that a Richmond PD detective told them that Johnson and Dixon were working with Richmond police. In the court documents, detectives credited Johnson and Dixon with a police raid that found “a large amount of narcotics” on Sept. 10. The court documents cite an interview between Fort Wayne PD detectives and a Richmond PD sergeant in which the sergeant is cited as calling the victims confidential informants for Richmond PD:
“Detectives spoke with Sgt. Dru McClain of the Richmond PD that stated that Nico Washington is a known drug dealer who is connected with Witness 4. Richmond PD served a warrant on Witness 4’s home on 9/10/24 where a large amount of narcotics were located. The basis of that investigation also involved Witness 5 leaving Witness 4’s home with narcotics. Sgt. Dru McClain stated that Victim 1 and Victim 2 were both Confidential Informants (CI) for them and led them to the search warrant of Witness 4’ house.”
However, in a posting on Facebook Sept. 24, Richmond PD denied Johnson and Dixon were confidential informants for the department:
“The Richmond Police Department has been made aware of several reports from Fort Wayne news agencies claiming that the two decedents were informants for the Richmond Police Department. This information is incorrect.
The Richmond Police Department works closely with individuals who cooperate in investigations, handling each case with the utmost respect for their safety and ensuring adherence to all legal protections. We take these responsibilities seriously and prioritize the security and well-being of anyone assisting in the pursuit of justice.”
