Suspect arrested in campus homicide

Just hours before Chico State classes began on Tuesday (Oct. 30), around 4:40 a.m., a University Police officer discovered the body of a woman on the south side of Kendall Hall.

Police arrested suspect Samuel Eugene Johnson, 27 (pictured), for the 55-year-old woman’s killing. Her name had not been released by CN&R’s press time, pending notification of her family. In a message to the campus community, Chico State President Gayle Hutchinson confirmed the victim was not a student or employee.

According to a University Police press release, the victim suffered blunt force injuries. Johnson was identified through witness accounts and other leads and was arrested around 9:20 a.m. on Broadway Street in downtown Chico. He was booked into the Butte County Jail and his bail has been set at $1 million.