Suspect in 2019 Pasadena Stabbing Death Due Back in Court

A Los Angeles man charged with murder in a 2019 stabbing death in Pasadena is scheduled to appear in court Thursday for further proceedings.

Telly R. Johnson, who was 41 at the time of the incident, is set to appear Thursday, October 10 at 8:30 a.m. in Department F of the Pasadena Courthouse, located at 300 E. Walnut St.

Johnson is accused of killing Byron Young Nettles, 52, on March 1, 2019, around 9:05 a.m. in front of an apartment building in the 100 block of South Euclid Avenue. Nettles, a Pasadena resident, was the manager of a supportive-housing facility for recovering addicts.

Johnson allegedly stabbed Nettles in the face and chest with a switchblade because he believed the victim had become involved in a relationship with Johnson’s longtime girlfriend.

Nettles was rushed to Huntington Memorial Hospital, where he died despite emergency surgery.

Johnson fled, prompting a manhunt involving helicopters and K-9 units. Mayfield Junior High School was placed on lockdown during the search.

United States Marshals and a fugitive task force apprehended Johnson later that evening, around 9:30 p.m., in the 1900 block of Cordova Street in Los Angeles. He was booked into Pasadena City Jail on suspicion of murder, with bail set at $2 million.

Pasadena police said preliminary findings suggested the killing was not random, but the motive remains under investigation.

Johnson’s case has been progressing through the court system since his arrest, with a status conference scheduled in November 2021. He is considered innocent until proven guilty.