HOUSTON — The body of a California woman who was visiting Houston last year may have been found in Montgomery County north of Houston, her family said.
Felicia Johnson, 24, was from San Diego and went missing in Houston in April 2022.
Her family believes the search for their loved one is over, though the search for the man charged in her death continues.
Felcia's father, Kevin Johnson, says he got a call from Houston police, saying that remains found are believed to be that of his daughter.
"He wouldn't have called me. They wouldn’t have notified me if they didn't think it was her," Kevin Johnson said. "I believe it’s her."
This comes as Montgomery County Justice of the Peace Wayne Mack said a TxDOT worker found possible skeletal remains in Sam Houston National Forest Tuesday, but they have not confirmed whether it is connected to Felicia’s case. Mack said the remains, which have not been identified, were found along with a trash bag and cadaver dogs returned to the site to search more on Thursday.
"Some jewelry was on the body that was hers," Kevin Johnson said. "We’re just waiting for the dental records to actually have the 100 percent."
Pieces of crime scene tape remained at the scene, serving as a reminder to neighbors of what was found.
“I just saw a bunch of emergency vehicles, most of them were unmarked," neighbor Katie Francis said. "It’s kinda creepy."
She lives at the edge of the Sam Houston National Forest.
“Sometimes there’s garbage bags were people dump stuff like that out, but it’s probably been 30 to 40 years since we heard of them finding anyone else out there," Francis said.
Houston police charged Chukweubuka Nwobodo, 28, in connection with her death. He is charged with murder and tampering with evidence and is still on the run. Lamar Consolidated ISD confirmed Nwobodo graduated from its district in 2011.
A Texas Equusearch volunteer group found Johnson’s purse in Bear Creek Park, close to where Johnson’s family found her phone. Houston police believed Johnson was murdered even before remains believed to be her body were found.
KHOU 11 News dug into the court documents to put together a timeline of events since Johnson's disappearance.
On April 16 at 2:56 a.m., Johnson is last seen at the Intercontinental Hotel in the Medical Center. She gets into an Uber that HPD said was ordered by Nwobodo. Detectives said he responded to an ad Johnson placed online. The Uber took Johnson to Nwobodo’s old address on Windchase. Then, he picked her up and took her to his apartment on South Richmond, according to police.
An hour later, his car is seen on surveillance video leaving the complex, and at 5:12 a.m., Johnson’s phone connects with a cell tower near where her family finds it in Bear Creek Park later that day.
The next two days, HPD said receipts show Nwobodo took out money and purchased supplies. His internet searches included things like “most forested part of Houston.”
On May 13, detectives got search warrants for his car and apartment. He was taken into custody during a traffic stop, but it’s unclear when he was released. In his apartment, investigators found “very strong support” of Johnson’s DNA, and in Nwobodo's car, they found a gun, knife and shovel.
If you have any information about Johnson's disappearance, call Crime Stoppers at 713222-TIPS (8477).