A South Florida man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted of first-degree murder in the 2023 fatal shooting and robbery of a man in North Miami Beach, officials confirmed Monday.

Jurors found Marcuss Ealy guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Malcolm Johnson Jr. during his October 2025 trial.

During Ealy’s sentencing hearing, Johnson’s mother, Donna Saddler, asked Judge Christina Miranda to give Ealy the maximum sentence.

“You killed my son,” Saddler said in court. “Then, you and your girl posted it on Instagram and stuff like he wasn’t nothing. Who does that?”

Surveillance video captured the North Miami Beach murder

In May 2023, North Miami Beach officers were called to NW 107th Street and NW 3rd Avenue in response to a shooting.

Officers discovered that two armed suspects ambushed Johnson Jr. in effort to steal his gold necklace.

Surveillance video showed one of the suspects wrestling with Johnson while the other grabbed the jewelry, police said. 

While Johnson stood unarmed with his “arms up” not resisting, Ealy shot Johnson in the chest and left him to die, prosecutors said.

Hollywood Police followed the suspect’s car to the Everglades, where the suspect planned to leave the car in a canal, prosecutors said.

Investigators identified the shooter as Ealy, and secured an arrest warrant after his own brother, a Georgia police officer, recognized him in the surveillance footage that had circulated online.

Police said Ealy, who was 22 at the time of the crime, was already in custody in connection with an investigation by the Hollywood Police Department.

Evidence presented during trial

Officials said Ealy took the stand in his own defense and claimed he was misidentified as the shooter, and said the only reason he found the crime funny was because he was drunk.

Yet, prosecutors presented selfie photos taken by Ealy and his then-girlfriend with the stolen gold necklace hours after Johnson’s murder.

Ealy’s brother testified and once again identified him as the killer.

The other suspect in the case, identified as Mario Fogar, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a plea deal and also testified against Ealy.

On Oct. 1, a 12-person jury found Ealy guilty. He faced sentencing on Monday, Nov. 17. 

“Can I ask you a question?” Saddler said to Ealy during sentencing. “Why did you kill my son? You’ve been wasting everybody’s time cause you know you guilty, and you still arrogant. I gotta [sic] get counseling every day. I can’t rest at night cause that’s always running through my mind, this trial, how you did.  You sit up there and lied. I’d see if you got some remorse. You ain’t got no remorse and I wish they give you the max, I really do.”

Saddler spoke for more than five and a half minutes. Then, Ealy began jingling his handcuffs loud enough to disrupt the hearing and upset Judge Miranda.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Ealy,” Judge Miranda said to Ealy during the hearing. 

“I’m ready to go judge,” Ealy responded in court. “We already know what’s going on. Life (in prison sentence). I understand. I’m ready to go.”

Judge Miranda told Ealy he needed to sit and be respectful.

“(The prosecutor is) not being respectful of me,” Ealy said to Judge Miranda in court.  “I’m not trying to disrespect you either.”

“Mr. Ealy, you’re being very disrespectful,” Judge Miranda said to Ealy in court. “I really don’t want to put you in the embarrassment of being put into a straitjacket or maybe covering your mouth so that we can continue with this hearing.”

Judge Miranda then sentenced Ealy to life in prison for first-degree murder and robbery.

Both sentences run concurrently with a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison.

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