Police in California are probing the murder of a 62-year-old man who died Monday, some 36 years after he was shot.
Walter Johnson, 62, was paralyzed by a shooting in 1977 and ultimately died from medical complications resulting from the incident, Fox 40 reported.
Sacramento police say Johnson was driving to his parents' home on April 9, 1977, when three men blocked the roadway with their car on San Carlos Way. Johnson was shot in the upper body after a brief struggle, police said, and he was then robbed. The three suspects fled in their red or brown Ford Pinto and were never apprehended. Johnson suffered paralysis from the bullet wound.
In an interview with local station News 10, Johnson's brother, Donald, claimed the suspects mistook Walter for him.
"He was looking for me. He thought it was me," Donald Johnson Sr. told the station. He also said his brother had forgiven his attackers.
At the time of the incident, investigators gathered evidence and conducted interviews, but never identified the three suspects. Since Johnson died from complications stemming from the shooting, his death is now considered a homicide.
Anyone with information about the 1977 shooting is urged to call Sacramento Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357. Authorities said a reward is being offered.
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