The Port Alberni RCMP have arrested a teen ten months after the murder of 20-year-old Clifton Johnston of Ahousaht.
“On January 19, 2022, a charge of 2nd degree murder was sworn against a 16-year-old male for the murder of Clifton Johnston that occurred on March 27, 2021, on 4th Avenue in Port Alberni. An arrest warrant was issued,” the RCMP said in a statement.
They went on to say that the male was arrested on Jan. 20, by Port Alberni RCMP members. His identity cannot be provided due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
On March 29, 2021, Ha-Shilth-Sa reported that a young man was found deceased outside the Port Alberni Friendship Center on the morning of Saturday, March 27 by a passerby. The young man was identified as 20-year-old Clifton Johnson, from Ahousaht and former Port Alberni resident.
Johnston had been living in Abbotsford with his mother and had come to Port Alberni for a visit that weekend.
The day after Johnson’s body was discovered the RCMP confirmed that they were conducting a homicide investigation. The victim, they said, was located on the street with stab wounds to his chest and had succumbed to his injuries.
The family and friends of Johnston gathered for a candlelight vigil on the steps leading up to the Port Alberni Friendship Center. A sidewalk memorial remained there for several months.
Johnston was described as a happy, fun-loving young man by people that knew him. His mother, Iris Clarke, said he dreamed of being a beekeeper.
“Investigators have been working on this investigation continuously for nearly 10 months, awaiting forensic laboratory results and completing the significant disclosure these investigations require for charge approval. The investigation continues,” said the RCMP.
