Man sentenced to life for 1995 murder in Charlotte; should be released conditionally: NCDAC

Lina PortmanMay 29, 2024

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CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A convicted murderer will be released on parole 30 years after killing himself in a Charlotte convenience store, according to the North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission.

Donovan Patrick Johnston was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole in April 1996 after being convicted of first-degree murder. Johnston was 15 years old at the time of the incident.

On May 11, 1995, Johnston and several friends were in the parking lot of the Magnolia Apartments in Dillworth when Dennis Clark and Earl Grant arrived at the apartment complex. According to court documentsJohnston asked Clark why he had Johnston's jacket, to which Clark denied having the jacket.

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Clark and Grant walked across the street to a convenience store, followed by Johnston and his friends. Johnston questioned Clark again about the jacket and whether he wanted marijuana. Clark refused, stating that he had not smoked it.

Court documents say Johnston again offered Clark marijuana. Johnston was heard saying, “Listen, here's what I have for you,” before shooting Clark several times.

Johnston was known to carry a .38 pistol, and bullets matching the gun were found at the crime scene and at Johnston's home, evidence suggests.

During his time in prison, Johnston committed almost 70 offenses; however, only two incidents have occurred since 2011, according to prison records. In Burke County, Johnston was found guilty of three counts of assault against a public official between 1996 and 1997.

Currently, Johnston is housed at the New Hanover Correctional Center, just outside the Wilmington city limits. He is scheduled to be conditionally released on July 7, 2025.

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