Joe Rogan has stated that a man who was a guest on his podcast allegedly murdered and decapitated another individual just over a month after their appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience." Rogan shared this account during a recent episode with physician Zach Bush, when the conversation turned to sociopaths.
"We had a guy in the studio that cut a guy’s head off after the podcast. He killed a guy and cut his head off," Rogan said.
According to Rogan, the guest, identified as Sheldon Johnson, appeared on the show in early 2024. Johnson was interviewed alongside civil rights attorney Josh Dubin, who works with the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice, an organization that advocates for the wrongfully convicted. Rogan described Johnson as sitting across from him weeks before the alleged crime.
"He does the podcast and then afterward goes and visits this guy that apparently he had a beef with, kills him, cuts his head off, puts him in a [suitcase], like puts a wig on, and tries to escape in the hallway through the cameras," Rogan recounted.
Authorities arrested Johnson in March 2024. Police discovered a human torso in a blue bin and a head in a freezer at an apartment in the Bronx that belonged to 44-year-old Colin Small. Neighbors had alerted the building superintendent after hearing gunshots and observing a stranger bringing cleaning supplies in and out of the apartment. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Johnson exiting an elevator, checking his surroundings, and entering the apartment. He was later seen leaving the building carrying a blue bin, accompanied by a mop and a bag of cleaning supplies. He allegedly returned to the scene later wearing a wig and different clothing.
Investigators searching Johnson's Harlem apartment found a human arm, legs, and a head with a gunshot wound in the freezer. Johnson was subsequently charged with murder, manslaughter, criminal possession of a weapon, and concealment of a human corpse. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges.
At the time of his appearance on Rogan's podcast, Johnson was employed as a client advocate at the public defender’s office in Queens. He had been released from prison in 2019 after serving 25 years for a series of armed robberies committed in 1999. Johnson, who has claimed to be a former member of the Bloods gang, was initially sentenced to a maximum of 50 years for using a firearm to rob individuals who owed him money for drugs. While incarcerated, Johnson reportedly decided to change his life, obtained his GED, and expressed a desire to pursue positive actions.
During his interview with Rogan, Johnson discussed his personal transformation and his subsequent work in criminal justice reform.