CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. (WECT) – The Carolina Beach Police Department responded to Spencer-Farlow Drive in response to a “person down” call at 7:40 a.m. on Thursday, July 4.

Per the CBPD, officers found a person dead with stab wounds when they arrived. A description of the suspect was also gathered at the scene, Officers arrested and charged 40-year-old James Arthur Johnson of Laurinburg with second degree murder.

During his first appearance on Friday, July 5, he asked for a court appointed attorney and his bond was set to $1 million secured.

Assistant District Attorney David Joyner said that Johnson was released from prison in Richmond County for a breaking and entering case last month and had a violent history in the state. Joyner said Johnson did not know the victim or witness, and that he found them at the Carolina Beach boardwalk.

Joyner said, citing the witness, that they all returned to the witness’ apartment and that the witness woke up the next morning and found Johnson holding a large kitchen knife and the victim unarmed. According to Joyner, she said there was some sort of stand off and ran out of her apartment. From a nearby apartment, she allegedly saw the victim laying in the doorway with Johnson nearby covered in blood.

ADA Joyner continued, saying that bloody footprints on the scene matched the shoes Johnson was wearing and that the victim had 15 stab wounds to his back and other injuries on his front.

Per Joyner, when police found Johnson, he denied being in the apartment or anywhere nearby and made statements about masturbation, God, and how nobody gets him that made police question his mental fortitude.

The investigation is ongoing, and the name of the victim has not been revealed.

His next court date is on July 25.

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