VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - "That's not him at all."
Lamont Johnson
That's what James Crockett said outside the Virginia Beach Courthouse on Tuesday after leaving what was supposed to be a bond hearing for his older brother, Lamont Johnson.
"First of all, I'd like to send my condolences to the Gamboa family and the Johnson family. This is a tragic situation that took place and I hope it doesn't get prolonged any longer than it already has," said Crockett.
Johnson was arrested on Sunday at the home he shared with missing Virginia Beach mother Bellamy Gamboa after, according to court records, he confessed to police that he murdered her.
Gamboa hasn't been seen since July 1.
Click here for full coverage of Gamboa's disappearance
"My brother is a kind-hearted person. I don't know if he snapped or what would've made him snap. He was very well invested in the relationship," said Crockett. "For him to snap and lose it...That's totally out of his character."
According to police, Johnson is Gamboa's ex-boyfriend, with whom she had twins. Police say the two lived together in a Virginia Beach apartment, co-parenting the one-year-old twins and Gamboa's other two children.
Crockett believes his brother and Gamboa still cared for each other and says they even appeared at a birthday party together a week before she went missing.
"There was a time when they separated, but they got back together and it was for the kids," he said.
Right now, Crockett says the twins are staying with his side of the family and doing well. He hopes the investigation looks into what would've caused an altercation between Johnson and Gamboa.
"I look at the media sometimes and I see the picture portrayed of Ms. Gamboa and the picture of my brother," he said. "It just makes him seem like a crazy person or a thug."
In 2017, court documents show that both Gamboa and Johnson filed emergency protective orders against each other. The action was taken after two arguments in March took violent turns. Court documents say Johnson pushed Gamboa onto the ground and grabbed her. Johnson claims Gamboa slapped and pushed him. The cases were ultimately dismissed.
Johnson is charged with second degree murder and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Following Johnson's arrest, Gamboa's sister released the following statement to News 3:
Thank God we got his confession. The first step was to get someone to speak up. That was our fight and we all continue to fight. The next step is to pray for Lamont. Give him the strength and courage to continue speaking and please please please let us know where Bellamy’s body is. We just want to bring her home and lay her to rest. I know the public, family, friends are ANGRY with rage, but I need to be strong for them, and know that only God can judge and do his part.
