Ankeny, Iowa Man Johnson Browne Arrested in Polk County for First-Degree Murder

Ankeny, Iowa Man Johnson Browne Arrested in Polk County for First-Degree Murder

ANKENY, IOWA — Johnson Browne, a 32-year-old resident of Ankeny, was arrested in Polk County in connection with the killing of his long-term partner.

According to the Ankeny Police Department, Browne was taken into custody Sunday afternoon during an incident near 910 NE Crestmoor Place, where officers responded to a report of a suspicious man allegedly attempting to break into a vehicle. Police say Browne had blood on his hands at the time of the encounter and was later involuntarily committed to a hospital due to fresh injuries and cognitive impairment. Authorities allege he resisted officers during the arrest.

The investigation later led officers to conduct a welfare check around 8:53 a.m. Monday at an apartment located at 1010 NE Crestmoor Place. Inside the locked apartment, police found 30-year-old Sharon Jellue deceased. Court documents state Jellue shared the apartment with Browne.

Browne was transported to the Polk County Jail and is currently facing a charge of first-degree murder, along with additional charges related to assault on persons in certain occupations and interference with official acts. He is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond, and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for January 16.