FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A 29-year-old man has been charged with murder in the deaths of two people from Connersville whose bodies were pulled from an Allen County river on Friday.
The Richmond Police Department said in multiple statements that court documents stating the two people killed were serving as police informants for the department are not correct.
Dominique Washington is charged with killing 41-year-old Matthew Johnson and 40-year-old Christina Dixon, whose bodies were found in the St. Marys River in Fort Wayne on Sept. 20, 2024.
The Allen County Coroner's Office ruled both deaths homicides, stating that Johnson's cause of death is a gunshot wound and stab wound, while Dixon's is strangulation and suffocation.
Court documents filed by the Fort Wayne Police Department stated that a Richmond PD detective told them that Johnson and Dixon were working with Richmond police. In the court documents, detectives credited Johnson and Dixon with a police raid that found "a large amount of narcotics" on Sept. 10. The court documents cite an interview between Fort Wayne PD detectives and a Richmond PD sergeant in which the sergeant is cited as calling the victims confidential informants for Richmond PD:
"Detectives spoke with Sgt. Dru McClain of the Richmond PD that stated that Nico Washington is a known drug dealer who is connected with Witness 4. Richmond PD served a warrant on Witness 4’s home on 9/10/24 where a large amount of narcotics were located. The basis of that investigation also involved Witness 5 leaving Witness 4’s home with narcotics. Sgt. Dru McClain stated that Victim 1 and Victim 2 were both Confidential Informants (CI) for them and led them to the search warrant of Witness 4’ house."
However, in a posting on Facebook Sept. 24, Richmond PD denied Johnson and Dixon were confidential informants for the department:
"The Richmond Police Department has been made aware of several reports from Fort Wayne news agencies claiming that the two decedents were informants for the Richmond Police Department. This information is incorrect.
The Richmond Police Department works closely with individuals who cooperate in investigations, handling each case with the utmost respect for their safety and ensuring adherence to all legal protections. We take these responsibilities seriously and prioritize the security and well-being of anyone assisting in the pursuit of justice."
13News reached out to Richmond PD for clarification on the discrepancy. Wednesday morning, a spokesperson said in a statement that the department "is actively investigating how this information entered the probable cause affidavit for the Fort Wayne Police Department."
The spokesperson also shared the following in the statement (NOTE: 13News is omitting the names of two people mentioned in the statement who have not been charged in connection with the incident, according to online court records.):
"We cannot rule out that Dixon or Johnson, at some point in their lifetime, have worked covertly and cooperatively with the police department; however, regarding Dominque Washington, [Person 2], or [Person 3], we can verify that both Johnson and Dixon were not working in any Informant capacity, in fact, from our preliminary investigation, Dominique and Johnson appeared to be acquaintances.
At this point in the investigation, we believe that relaying information about all involved individuals led to miscommunication and mistaken assumptions from an agency communicating by phone over 100 miles from Richmond as they completed their affidavit. It appears that during the conversation with FWPD, Sgt. McClain mentioned the potential involvement of Dixon and Johnson in a separate investigation to be as helpful as possible in finding the likely suspect in this case.
It is critical to point out that Probable Cause Affidavits sometimes contain miscommunications that must be later worked out through the judicial process. In this case, FWPD did a phenomenal job, from the discovery of the bodies to the arrest of Dominque Washington in less than three days, working over numerous counties and an enormous body of information. Probable Cause, from a legal standard, is merely that something is more likely than not to have happened, which is far less than the burden of proof that requires a conviction, which is guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or greater than 99%. We suspect that through due process, this issue will be rectified, and justice will be served."
The investigation
In the court documents, Richmond police told Fort Wayne police that Washington was connected to the alleged drug dealer who was arrested in the Sept. 10 raid. That suspect is listed as a witness in the court documents.
Police believe that on Sept. 19, Washington lured Johnson and Dixon into a car and made them turn off their phones. Detectives believe that "Dominique then switched vehicles, killing them along the way, and then dumping their bodies in the St. Marys River in Fort Wayne."
Police were able to track Washington's movements through traffic cameras and cellphones. Police say he used a friend's car for the initial abduction, then went back to the scene in his own vehicle.
In a press release, Richmond police say Washington was taken into custody during a traffic stop as Indiana State Police SWAT and Richmond and Fort Wayne Police raided his home.
Police anticipate more arrests will be made as the investigation progresses.
Washington is being held in the Allen County Jail. He was initially arrested Tuesday, Sept. 24 on preliminary charges including murder, kidnapping, and "failure to report discovery of body with intent to hinder investigation." He has been formally charged with murder.
Richmond Police also issued the following statement about the arrest of Washington. It reads in part:
"Our hearts go out to the families of Christina and Matthew as they endure this tragic loss. We remain steadfast in our commitment to bringing justice to them. This arrest is just one step in ensuring that those responsible for such horrific acts are held accountable. We will continue working tirelessly alongside our partners to ensure justice is served. Additional arrests and information will follow, and we will not rest until everyone involved is brought to justice."