Second suspect charged with murder of Bolingbrook tattoo artist

A Chicago man has become the second defendant charged with the 2024 murder of a tattoo artist in Bolingbrook.

On Tuesday, Bolingbrook police officials announced the arrest of Mark Bell, 29, on a charge of first-degree murder of Terrell Johnson, 38, of Bolingbrook.

Bell has also been charged with home invasion, attempted armed robbery and other offenses.

Johnson was killed in a shooting on May 16, 2024, at an apartment in the 500 block of Preston Drive.

The investigation of the shooting has already led to the arrest of Carla Williams, 29, of Atlanta, Georgia. She is charged with Johnson’s murder.

The events leading to the shooting began when Williams was picked up in Georgia by a friend who then took her to Chicago, according to a court filing from prosecutors.

Neither Williams nor her friend had a job or income, prosecutors said.

Williams learned her friend had a relationship with Johnson and he would give her “large sums of money,” prosecutors said.

Williams developed a plan to rob and kill Johnson, prosecutors said.

On May 16, 2024, Williams and her friend had picked up a man known as “Boosie” from Chicago and traveled to Johnson’s apartment in Bolingbrook, prosecutors said.

While in the parking lot, Williams gave “Boosie” a handgun and instructed him to kill Johnson, prosecutors said.

Meanwhile, Johnson was tattooing a client at the apartment, prosecutors said.

The client knew Johnson as a tattoo artist who advertises his tattoos on Instagram, prosecutors said.

The client had his back to the door and he was watching TV when he heard a knock on the door, prosecutors said. Johnson told the person to come inside.

The client heard a female say she wanted to use his phone to “make a call really quick,” prosecutors said. She did not tell Johnson why.

A person entered the apartment and the client heard a male voice saying his sister wanted to use Johnson’s phone to call Amtrak, prosecutors said.

Johnson’s last words were apparently, “That’s all you needed to say,” prosecutors said.

The client then heard three to four gunshots and dropped to the floor, prosecutors said. The client never turned around while the two people were inside the apartment.

After the two people left, the client called 911 and yelled for help, prosecutors said.

Williams threw away her clothing, sold her cellphone and she was present when the firearm used to kill Johnson was also sold, prosecutors said.

Williams also obtained a ticket to travel back to Georgia, prosecutors said.

Officers managed to find Williams on July 11, 2024, in Rockford, where she was apprehended, prosecutors said.