Man pleads guilty after murdering woman, likely to be set on fire

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A Georgia man was sentenced to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to murdering 32-year-old Teresa Michael and burning down her Bloomington apartment.

Eric Quentin Johnson was arrested in February 2021 after fleeing Indiana after setting fire to a Bloomington apartment in an attempt to cover up the murder of his then-girlfriend.

According to previous reports, police responded to an apartment fire on Basswood Drive on January 28, 2021, around 10 p.m. Firefighters eventually found Teresa Michael lying in the middle of the living room and quickly carried her outside.

Michael suffered significant burns and was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy performed on Michael, however, revealed that the woman had died before the fire occurred. Investigators learned that Michael had been strangled before the fire broke out. His car was also missing, as were the keys to the apartment.

Court documents reveal that Michael and Johnson had been dating for about six months before the fire. The couple allegedly met online and Johnson moved from Georgia to Bloomington to live with Michael and his children.

People close to the situation told police that Johnson had a history of alcohol abuse and that the relationship had become tempestuous. Court documents reveal that on January 28, 2021 – the day of the fire – Michael informed several family members of his plans to break up with Johnson.

Police eventually tracked Johnson to Georgia, where Michael's stolen vehicle was located. However, Johnson was no longer in Georgia, having hopped on a Greyhound bus headed to South Carolina.

Authorities contacted law enforcement in Columbia, South Carolina, who arrested Johnson when his bus stopped. Johnson was brought back to Indiana where he was charged with murder and arson.

Johnson eventually pleaded guilty to murder. His 45-year sentence for murder is not suspended.