RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN — A 2024 murder case that began with an emergency call for medical help has now moved closer to resolution, as the accused killer prepares for a court appearance this week.
On October 27, 2024, Murfreesboro Police responded to a residence after receiving reports of a man with head injuries. Officers discovered that 45-year-old Harold Cruz had sustained far more serious injuries than initially reported. Despite emergency aid, Cruz was pronounced dead at the scene.
As detectives with the Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) investigated, evidence suggested Cruz had been murdered during the late-night hours of October 26.One month later, a warrant was issued for the murder suspect, leading authorities to charge 40-year-old Clinton Lynn Johnson, Jr. with First Degree Murder following their detailed investigation. Johnson was initially arrested on November 13, 2024, and appeared before Judge Ben Bennett in Rutherford County General Sessions Court three months later. In January of this year (2025), the court bound the case over to the Rutherford County Grand Jury for further consideration.
Before his murder arrest, Johnson had been taken into custody on October 30, 2024, for possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia—just three days after Cruz’s death. That case is also pending, with a December 2025 arraignment scheduled before Judge James Turner, who is also presiding over the murder and aggravated robbery case.
In August 2025, a Rutherford County Grand Jury issued a sealed indictment charging Johnson with First Degree Murder and Aggravated Robbery. He was arraigned the following month before Judge Turner.
Johnson remains housed at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center as he awaits a plea hearing set for Thursday, November 13, 2025. He is represented by Public Defender Drew Perkins, while the State’s case is being handled by Assistant District Attorney Matt Westmoreland.
Case Number: 75CC1-2025-CR-94571
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