A La Mesa man has been sentenced to 31 years to life in prison for killing Albert Johnson, 59, during an August 2025 confrontation in El Cajon, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. Patch reported the sentence Nov. 2.
Stephen Mathews Coney, 30, was convicted of second-degree murder Sept. 9. Prosecutors said he confronted Johnson in an apartment parking lot on South Sunshine Avenue near West Renette Avenue.
Coney stabbed Johnson during the confrontation, according to prosecutors. Johnson was taken to a hospital, where he died. El Cajon police arrested Coney at the apartment complex.
Several children witnessed the stabbing, prosecutors said. Nearly 30 members of Johnson’s family attended the trial and sentencing. The case concerns a La Mesa resident and a killing in neighboring El Cajon.
Source: Patch, corroborated by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.