A couple accused of luring a young man to his death via the Tinder dating app faced harsh sentences totaling more than 60 years in prison after pleading guilty in a South Carolina court this week.
Asherai Gadsden, aged 23, and Joshua Mack, aged 30, admitted to murder and armed robbery charges on November 1 before Judge Bentley Price in Charleston County Circuit Court. Gadsden was sentenced to 30 years behind bars, while Mack received a 38-year sentence.
Their victim, Allan Johnson III, was just 24 years old when he was shot four times inside Gadsden's North Charleston apartment on January 9, 2022. As reported by The Post and Courier, Johnson and Gadsden connected on Tinder and went on a date that night, enjoying dinner and drinks before heading to the woman's apartment.
Once inside, Johnson went to use the bathroom, and when he came out, Mack was waiting with a gun, attempting to rob him. The 24-year-old victim tried to defend himself by grabbing the weapon before he was shot.
Mack's lawyer argued that Mack only intended to scare Johnson and take his money, not kill him. The defense attorney claimed that it was Johnson who fired the gun when trying to disarm Mack. Mack pleaded guilty to murder and attempted robbery to spare Johnson's family from the trial.
A third person, Zora Henderson, was also charged in connection with the murder. Henderson, who was Mack's girlfriend at the time, was not present at Gadsden's apartment the night of the crime, but prosecutors said she had encouraged Mack and Gadsden through text messages to lure in Johnson and rob him. Henderson entered an Alford plea in May.
Judge Price opted not to impose life sentences on Mack and Gadsden, hoping they would learn from their actions and become more productive members of society upon release. Mack is expected to be quite old when he finally regains his freedom.
The victim's family attended the sentencing hearing, and while they believed that more time was deserved, they acknowledged that Gadsden, Mack, and Henderson would have to live with the consequences of their choices.
To honor Allan Johnson III's memory, his family established a scholarship fund at Morris College in South Carolina. Johnson had recently graduated from the college and was on the path to pursuing a master's degree in education.
In courtroom footage from the sentencing hearing, Gadsden, who had been out on bond since July, was visibly shaken upon learning her fate and could be heard sobbing as she was escorted from the courtroom. Judge Price took into account nearly a year of time served towards her 30-year sentence. Mack had already served over 600 days, which will also count as time served.
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