The suspect in the February killing of a Tabor City area man was arrested days after the murder – for another shooting. He has now been charged in the February killing as well.
Tallis Jeremiah Vereen, 24, is being held under no bond, charged with murdering Ervin “Ervianna” Hakeem Johnson on Feb. 13. Vereen’s address was listed in warrants as 71 Nassau Lane, Tabor City. He was under $500,000 secured bond for the shooting and armed robbery of Cameron Baldwin on Feb. 19. He is being held without bond on the murder charge.
The sheriff’s office reported that Johnson, 25, was reported missing after he vanished from his Bermuda Bay home during the early hours of Feb. 13. His mother saw him on security footage around 3 a.m., wearing a crop top and shorts. Temperatures were near freezing and there was light rain at the time. He reportedly left home without a cell phone or wallet, but a cellphone was eventually found near his body.
Investigators searched the area around the home looking for Johnson, but his body was not found until Feb. 19, when a relative went to a nearby pond.
Law enforcement searched the area but did not find any sign of the missing man. Searchers spent hours in 30-degree temperatures and raining conditions looking for Johnson. After a “psychic” told the family Johnson was “near a body of water,” relatives began scouring the area, the OCME’s report said.
Johnson’s body was found in a pond near the family home on Feb. 19, with a bullet wound to the head.
Searchers found Johnson on his right side near the waterline, on the bank of the pond, about four to five feet down in an area that had previously been searched by family members.
The full autopsy and investigative report by the state Office of Chief Medical Examiner said that Johnson was found in the same black shorts and shirt he was wearing when he was last seen by his mother. His cell phone was nearby with a message sent at 1 a.m. on Feb. 15. His apparent last communication was a text message that read “Where you at?”, the report said.
The bullet to Johnson’s head was not recovered, the report said. The wound was not immediately evident due to his thick dreadlocks, which measured 42 inches long.
Johnson was known for sometimes dressing in a flamboyant manner; the initial missing person report and the autopsy show his hair was dyed brown, purple, red and blonde. He also had multiple piercings and tattoos, the autopsy said.
Vereen was charged in the murder Tuesday, a news release from the sheriff’s office said. Warrants show that on Oct. 14, 2024, Vereen allegedly shot Cameron Baldwin with a 9mm handgun, then took Baldwin’s 5.56 mm rifle.
“This is a senseless and heartbreaking loss,” Sheriff Bill Rogers said. “I am incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication of our investigators and the agents with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
“Their determination and commitment over the past several months ensured that justice would not be forgotten. We also extend our sincere gratitude to the Columbus County District Attorney’s Office for their continued partnership and support throughout this investigation.”
