Texas Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit Solves 14-Year-Old Toddler Homicide, Arrests Suspect

AUSTIN, Texas – A 14-year-old child homicide investigation has been revived with the arrest of a man accused of killing a 16-month-old boy after a collaborative effort between the Texas Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit and the La Porte Police Department.

Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the arrest of Eric Johnson in connection with the 2012 homicide of 16-month-old Shawn McCloskey.

Johnson was taken into custody by officers with the La Porte Police Department after investigators developed new evidence through the Attorney General’s Office Cold Case Unit.

According to investigators, Shawn’s mother found the toddler unresponsive on July 19, 2012, after Johnson, who was her boyfriend at the time, had been caring for the child overnight.

The child was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy determined Shawn had suffered multiple blunt force injuries comparable to those seen in a high-speed automobile crash. The death was ruled a homicide.

La Porte detectives identified Johnson early in the investigation as the primary suspect, but authorities said the available evidence at the time was insufficient to support criminal charges, leaving the case unsolved for 14 years.

In May 2026, the La Porte Police Department presented the case during the Attorney General’s “Texas Solves: Collaboration Workshop,” a program that brings together investigators and forensic experts to reexamine unresolved homicide cases.

Following the two-day workshop, investigators from the Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit and the La Porte Police Department continued working together to review evidence and develop new investigative strategies.

Authorities said that collaborative effort ultimately produced the probable cause needed to obtain Johnson’s arrest.

“My Cold Case Unit has secured the evidence needed to arrest Eric Johnson for the murder of 16-month-old baby Shawn McCloskey. My office worked closely with the La Porte PD to bring justice to the victim of such a heartbreaking and heinous violent crime,” Attorney General Ken Paxton said. “We will continue to do everything we can to solve cold cases across the state.”

The case remains pending in the criminal justice system.

About Texas Solves

Texas Solves is an ongoing statewide initiative designed to strengthen cold case investigations through collaboration, expert consultation, and shared resources. The first workshop was held in Austin in May 2026, and the next Texas Solves event is scheduled for Lubbock in October. Additional workshops will be hosted in regions across Texas to ensure broad access for agencies throughout the state. For more information on the OAG’s Texas Solves workshops, law enforcement agencies are encouraged to contact the Cold Case Unit at CCMPU@oag.texas.gov.