Recently, 53-year-old Damion Johnson received a 2-year long prison sentence for keeping his friend, John Wainwright’s body in a freezer after his death. The latest episode of Forensics: The Real CSI, “Body in the Freezer,” explores this case in detail.
The synopsis of the episode reads, “West Midlands Police are called after staff working in a tip yard make a grisly discovery: a decomposing body in a freezer which has been brought in for disposal following a flat clearance. A forensics team attends the scene, and the body and freezer are both removed for forensic tests. The team must first identify the body. A process that eventually leads the police to a surprising discovery: one of the deceased’s friends has known about his death for quite some time.”
BBC states that Johnson was the registered carer of Wainwright, and they were good friends. In 2015, they moved into a rented flat at Cleveland Tower, Birmingham. However, when the latter died, Johnson purchased a £462 freezer and kept him there until officials discovered the body.
How long have Damion Johnson and John Wainwright known each other?
Damion Johnson and John Wainwright knew each other for 27 years. As per reports, Johnson could not accept Wainwright’s passing at all. This prevented him from giving his friend a proper burial.
John Wainwright died in September 2018. However, officials discovered his body in August 2020. Judge Shaun Smith KC, who preceded this case, stated that Damion Johnson’s offense was unusual. During Johnson’s hearing, Smith said, “Had you accepted his death and gone about it in a normal way? He would have received a good and decent burial. That was not what you did. You bought a chest freezer, a deliberate act on your part. You knew what you were going to do. Everything you did facilitated the hiding of that body. Nothing you did contributed to it being found.”
At the time of his death, John Wainwright was 71 years old. He enjoyed classical music, and his peers adored him.
