The family of the Texas teenager who was brutally murdered and left for dead on the road is asking “anyone with information” to come forward with a new tribute.
Cody Johnson, 19, was found with multiple gunshot wounds along the service road on the Katy Freeway between Beltway 8 and Highway 99 on September 27.
First responders airlifted him to Memorial Hermann Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
As officials continue to investigate the murder, heartbroken parents Amy Juneau and Mike Johnson shared a tearful tribute to their son during a CrimeStoppers press conference today.
Cody Johnson, 19, was found with multiple gunshot wounds along the service road on the Katy Freeway between Beltway 8 and Highway 99 on September 27.
“My heart will never be the same without Cody. I urge anyone with any information to come forward and report to CrimeStoppers. Nothing will bring Cody back, but if any justice can come from this, please help us find justice for Cody,” Juneau said through tears.
Johnson added: “That morning he said, ‘Dad, I’m so happy.’ Someone so happy shouldn’t be in a grave. We will not stop because his value to this world was so great.”
During the conference, a spokesperson for CrimeStoppers said the agency is offering a $30,000 reward for information leading to the indictment and/or arrest of the killer.
The devastated father also said his teenage son had recently recovered from a serious motorcycle accident that injured him in June.
He would start a new job as a car salesman in the coming weeks, the parents further revealed.
“My heart will never be the same without Cody. I urge anyone with any information to come forward and report to Crime Stoppers. Nothing will bring Cody back, but if any justice can come from this, please help us find justice for Cody,” said mother Amy Juneau through tears.
Father Mike Johnson added: ‘That morning he said, ‘Dad, I’m so happy.’ Someone so happy shouldn’t be in a grave. We will not stop because his value to this world was so great.”
The teen has loved cars since he was just a toddler, so “he followed his dreams,” Mike previously told KHOU 11, as the suspect or suspects remain at large.
‘Everything seemed to click and finally go in the right direction.
“Even if he disconnects, or someone cuts him off, there’s no reason why that should kill him,” he continued.
‘Value in people’s lives is more than a car or a frustration.’
Both parents added that the black 2013 Chevy Camaro had been the prized possession of their son – who was found at the scene with his blinders on.
During the conference, a spokesperson for CrimeStoppers said the agency is offering a $30,000 reward for information leading to the indictment and/or arrest of his killer.
As of October 4, no motive has been established and the identity of the shooter remains unknown
It is believed the car drove for some time before coming to a complete stop. Here you see police gathering around the 2013 muscle car
“No one appreciates life,” his father said in another emotional interview with ABC 13.
“We just want answers,” Juneau added. “We want him back more than anything, but if we can just get some kind of closure on what happened.”
Family members said he left his mother’s home in Missouri City, about 20 miles south of Houston, around 7 p.m. on the day of his death.
Intending to pick up his girlfriend from her job in Katy, Johnson never made it, his parents said — pointing to data from an app that showed his Camaro came to a stop on the Katy Freeway around 8:04 p.m.
It is believed the car drove for some time before coming to a stop where it was later discovered.
Within minutes, he was found along the I-10 freeway, his car and body riddled with bullets, leading the local sheriff to suspect the incident stemmed from road rage.
Both parents added that the black 2013 Chevy Camaro had been their son’s prized possession – who was found at the scene with his blinders on
The victim was found along the I-10 feeder road riddled with bullets, prompting the local sheriff to say the incident likely stemmed from road rage
However, officials are still trying to determine what happened and have not yet named a suspect.
As of October 4, no motive has been established and the identity of the shooter remains unknown.
Houston – just a few miles from the crime scene – had the dubious distinction of being the city with the most road rage in the past decade, with a total of 215 incidents since 2014.
Tied for second place were cities such as San Antonio and Memphis, which each had only 107 incidents.
The trend has continued this year, with a 21-year-old killed last month after exchanging gunfire with another motorist on I-10.
The other driver fled before returning to the crash scene and is said to be cooperating with investigators.
The case was assigned and turned over to the district attorney for depositions and an investigation to determine whether charges will be filed, police said in that case.