Roommate indicted in death of LGBTQ advocate whose brother is prominent Democratic figure in Florida
By Jennifer Henderson, Jamiel Lynch and Steve Almasy, CNN
A grand jury in Florida has indicted a man for first-degree murder and other charges in connection with the death of his roommate, an LGBTQ advocate and brother of a former Miami mayor, court documents show.
The body of Jorge Diaz Johnston was discovered in January in a Jackson County landfill several days after he was last seen. Police believe Diaz Johnston was strangled with a ligature and his body was wrapped in bed linens and dumped in the trash at his home, the probable cause section of search warrants in the case indicate.
Steven R. Yinger, 37, was indicted last week by a Leon County grand jury on charges of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, grand theft motor vehicle, grand theft and criminal use of a personal identification number, court documents show.
The indictment alleges Yinger strangled Diaz Johnston between January 3 and 5. His body was found the morning of January 8, police said.
Yinger, who was arrested Friday, is being held at the Leon County detention center. CNN has not been able to reach an attorney for him.
Diaz Johnston’s husband, Don Diaz Johnston, reported him missing, according to search warrants. Don Diaz Johnston told police Yinger was Jorge Diaz Johnston’s roommate and Diaz Johnston had been planning to ask Yinger to move out because they hadn’t been getting along.
“I am so angry. After all those years of trying to get my husband back, to have him ripped from me for such an utterly senseless reason,” Don Diaz Johnston told CNN affiliate WPLG in an interview that aired last week.
He said his late husband knew Yinger from an alcohol recovery program and took him in while he and Jorge were separated.
“Jorge didn’t charge him rent, never had expectations, until he could get a job and support himself, and that’s who Jorge was,” Don Diaz Johnston told WPLG.
Diaz Johnston confirmed to CNN his statements to WPLG.
Jorge and Don Diaz Johnston were one of six couples who filed a lawsuit in Miami-Dade County in 2014 challenging Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage. A Miami-Dade circuit judge ruled in the couples’ favor in 2015.
In January, the victim’s brother, Manny Diaz — chair of the Florida Democratic Party and the mayor of Miami from 2001 to 2009 — released a statement thanking police and city officials who worked to locate his sibling and investigate the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
“I am profoundly appreciative of the outpouring of support shown to me, my brother-in-law Don, and my family after the loss of my brother, Jorge Diaz Johnston. My brother was such a special gift to this world whose heart and legacy will continue to live on for generations to come,” the statement said.
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CNN’s Amy Simonson contributed to this report.
