LOS ANGELES, CA — A convicted double murderer who was released on parole after serving 25 years for two 1995 killings has been sentenced to life without parole for murdering his girlfriend less than a year after his release.
Darryl Lamar Collins, 55, received his life sentence Friday from Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Craig Veals for the July 2021 killing of Fatima Johnson, a 53-year-old mother of six. Collins was freed in 2020 under California’s youthful offender parole provision, which was expanded in 2017 to include offenders up to age 25. The law allowed Collins to be released after serving half of his original 50-year sentence because he was 24 when he committed his first two murders.
Johnson’s daughters found her body in her apartment on July 4, 2021, exactly 364 days after Collins’ release from prison. According to prosecutors, Johnson had been bound at the wrists and ankles with shoelaces and duct tape, gagged with underwear, and suffocated with duct tape placed over her mouth and nose. Collins stole Johnson’s cell phone, jewelry and Lexus vehicle, then pawned two of her necklaces and sold her car for drugs within hours of the murder. Johnson, who had eight grandchildren, worked at a nursing home and was pursuing a nursing license at the time of her death after maintaining sobriety for eight years.
Collins’ criminal history began in September 1995 when he carjacked 28-year-old Derrick Reese, who was using a payphone. After taking Reese’s vehicle, Collins backed up and shot him at least twice, killing him. Eleven days later, Collins attempted to rob an Inglewood diner where 44-year-old Thomas Weiss was working as a cashier. When Weiss refused to comply with the robbery demand, Collins shot him in the face, killing him. Both victims were strangers to Collins. He was convicted of both murders and sentenced to two consecutive terms of 25 years to life on January 15, 1998.
The 2017 legislative change that enabled Collins’ early release expanded California’s youthful offender parole eligibility from age 23 to 25, making offenders eligible for parole consideration after 25 years regardless of their original sentence length. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman criticized the law’s impact in Collins’ case. “Had the state legislature not changed the law in 2017, almost 20 years after Collins’ sentencing, raising the age cutoff from 23 to 25 for youthful offender parole, Collins would have been behind bars rather than on the street and able to senselessly and brutally take another innocent life,” Hochman said. The law was designed to give young offenders a second chance at rehabilitation, but Collins’ case has highlighted the risks of early release for violent criminals.
Collins was convicted in February 2026 of first-degree special circumstance murder in Johnson’s death. Deputy District Attorneys Katrina Anderson and Noelle Brown from the Family Violence Division prosecuted the case. The California Parole Board has faced increased scrutiny in recent weeks after approving early release for two convicted serial child rapists, David Funston and Gregory Vogelsang, despite at least one admitting he still fantasizes about children. U.S. Representative Kevin Kiley cited Collins’ case while calling for a review of the parole board’s decisions and state early release laws. “California’s reckless laws and runaway Parole Board are getting our citizens killed,” Kiley wrote on social media.
District Attorney Hochman emphasized the permanent nature of Collins’ new sentence during Friday’s hearing. “Darryl Collins took three innocent lives. Today’s sentence isn’t just about punishment, it’s also about protection from this sociopath to ensure he will never walk free again,” he said. “This case shows exactly what can happen when someone with a history of extreme violence is released from prison early. We can only hope that three families who have experienced unimaginable loss find some measure of peace knowing he will never again be back in our communities.” Johnson’s family had grown worried when she failed to show up for work or return text messages before her daughters discovered her body.
Collins now faces life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, ensuring he will never again be eligible for release. The case has renewed calls for legislative review of California’s youthful offender parole laws, though any changes would require action from state lawmakers.
