Johnson was the only suspect police had identified. At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, police revealed that a composition book was found near Johnson's body. In three handwritten pages, the writer—who identified himself as Boaz Johnson—confessed to strangling Royal while involved in a domestic dispute and to throwing her body into the ocean. He also indicated his intention to end his life. A forensic document examiner determined that the writing in the composition book came from Boaz Johnson.