Florida man sentenced to life in murder of activist
Steven Yinger Steven Yinger, 38, has been sentenced to life in prison after having been found guilty of first-degree murder, grand theft, grand theft of a motor vehicle, tampering with physical evidence and criminal use of personal identification information in connection with the 2022 murder of Florida LGBTQ rights activist Jorge Diaz-Johnston, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Diaz-Johnston’s body was found in a Jackson County, Florida landfill in January 2022 after his estranged husband, Don Diaz-Johnston, reported him missing.
Yinger was indicted the following April. Jorge Diaz-Johnston, brother of former Miami mayor Manny Diaz, reportedly struggled with alcoholism and knew Yinger through a recovery program.
Yinger, who has an extensive criminal record that includes convictions for burglary, grand theft, and drug-related crimes, moved into Diaz-Johnston’s apartment after being released from prison in October 2021.
