by David Cruz

Authorities in New Jersey have charged a man linked to the death of a Fort Lee man found dead in the back of a car in Norwood last month.

The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office says that Andre Jamal Thompson, known by associates as “Boogie,” was charged with felony murder for the homicide of Jordan Johnson. The victim was found in a black BMW on 211th Street and Tryon Avenue just off the Major Deegan Expressway and overlooking the Woodlawn Cemetery on Jan. 15.

Investigators learned that Thompson allegedly lured Johnson to an apartment in Fort Lee. Johnson was then attacked and later strangled. His phone, keys and car were later taken. Thompson would then use Johnson’s phone to get his live-in girlfriend out of their apartment so Thompson could rob it of jewelry and cash, according to prosecutors.

After leaving the body in the car, prosecutors say Thompson fled the state, holing himself up in a hotel room in Laurel, Maryland. He was apprehended on Feb. 5. Johnson was brought back to Bergen County. His bail’s set at $2 million.

The case brings about a sense of closure to the Norwood community, where many believed this to be the first homicide of 2015 for the 52nd Precinct. The police had stumbled upon the body, using an automated license plate scanner.

The body had been left in the vehicle overnight in what’s considered a very sleepy part of the neighborhood.

Reach David Cruz at (718) 324-4998 or dcruz@norwoodnews.org.