Jacksonville, Florida Woman Claudia Banton Arrested in Brooklyn for Execution-Style Murder During Memorial

Jacksonville, Florida Woman Claudia Banton Arrested in Brooklyn for Execution-Style Murder During Memorial

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Claudia Banton, a 46-year-old resident of Jacksonville, Florida, was arrested in Brooklyn in connection with the execution-style killing of her 42-year-old friend, Delia Johnson, during a candle-lighting ceremony.

According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, Banton was taken into custody on Monday, November 8, 2021, by U.S. Marshals in Jacksonville. Authorities say the incident occurred on the evening of August 4, 2021, when Banton allegedly approached Johnson from behind during a memorial in Crown Heights and fatally shot her multiple times in the head at point-blank range.

Banton was transported to a detention facility in New York and faced charges of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. She was convicted in April and sentenced on May 19, 2025, to 23 years to life in prison.