Man Sentenced in Collinsville Murder-for-Hire Plot

Convicted Hitman Sentenced to Life in Prison for Woman’s Murder

Gary Johnson, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Portia Rowland, has been sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors said Rowland, 32, was warming up her car outside her home when she was shot. Court documents allege that Sammy Shafer paid Johnson $10,000 to carry out the killing. Johnson’s defense attorney challenged the constitutionality of the mandatory sentencing statute, but the judge denied the motion. (4/23/26)

Shooter gets life sentence in Collinsville murder-for-hire

Gary D. Johnson was sentenced to natural life in prison for the 2025 murder-for-hire killing of Portia Rowland in Collinsville.

Man sentenced to life in prison in Collinsville murder-for-hire plot

The convicted hitman in a murder-for-hire plot that left a Collinsville woman dead has been sentenced to life in prison.

Gary Johnson Sentenced to Life for Collinsville Murder

EDWARDSVILLE - A Madison County judge sentenced 46-year-old Gary Johnson of East St. Louis to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Thursday, April 23, 2026, for the 2025 murder of Portia Rowland in Collinsville.Associate Judge Neil Schroeder handed down the sentence after finding Johnson guilty in a bench trial on March 9, 2026. Prosecutors said Johnson shot Rowland outside her home on Jan. 21, 2025, in a residential Collinsville …

Hitman in Collinsville murder-for-hire scheme sentenced to life in prison

Gary Johnson, 46, shot Portia Rowland in the driveway of her Collinsville home on Jan. 21, 2025.

Man sentenced in Collinsville murder-for-hire plot

An East St. Louis man will live out his life in prison for murdering a Collinsville woman he was contracted to kill.