JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The murder of an 18-year-old Jacksonville man has become the center of a nationwide TikTok trend.
“Where’s Corbin?” is a phrase that is now trending on the popular social media app.
Several TikTokers have gone viral as they dance and mime the lyrics to a song with details about Corbin Johnson’s murder.
“I think that it’s just ignorant. I really do think that it’s ignorant,” Johnson’s mother Melissa Jackson said.
Jackson reported her son missing in 2018. His remains were found in a wooded area in 2019. His death was ruled a murder.
The trend has caused many to seek out more details about his story. In the last few days, a 2019 story about his death has been viewed nearly 700,000 times on News4JAX.com.
@braceeface.kay Where Corbin bae?😀
♬ original sound - postacontent
Over the past few weeks, Jackson said she has received dozens of condolences from strangers on social media.
“I didn’t understand where it was coming from,” said Jackson.
She was surprised to learn the hashtag “#Where’sCorbin” reached up to 3.9 million views on TikTok.
The song used in the TikToks was released last year. It is called “Beatbox remix/Bibby Flow” by Jacksonville rapper, Julio Foolio. The video has been viewed more than 10 million times on YouTube.
The lyrics in the song say: “Corbin got kidnapped they found his bones he was rotten (Where’s Corbin?)”
According to sources, Foolio, whose legal name is Charles Jones, is linked to a violent group that goes by KTA. Other murder victims are also mentioned in his songs.
Some people asked Jones about Johnson during an Instagram live last week.
“Talking about where is Corbin, I don’t know where Corbin is. That’s all I’ve got to say,” said Jones.
Several TikTokers are now taking down their videos after learning the meaning behind the song.
@levalloishamilton Some trends aren't worth following. This REAL life. 🙏🏾 to all the families #wherescorbin #fooliochallenge #fooliomusic #taygotshot
♬ original sound - Levallois Hamilton
“For the most part, it is disgusting a lot of people. A lot of people, if you do have some people that think it’s funny and laughing about it. But for the most part, it really is touching a lot of people’s hearts,” Jackson said.
Johnson is not missing. His mother knows exactly where he is.
“To answer the question where’s Corbin, Corbin is right here. He’s in my heart. If you’re looking for Corbin, that’s where Corbin is, he’s right here. I have him with me every day,” she said.
Johnson’s parents said the teenager disappeared sometime after a job interview. Johnson’s father said he dropped his son off for a job interview with UPS. According to the police report, another man dropped the teen off at his mother’s Northside home later in the evening.
Johnson’s mother told police that evening was the last time she saw her son, and she did not know whom he was with when he got home.
Jackson still waits for an arrest and is hoping the TikTok trend can bring justice for Johnson.
Jones posted on Instagram last month saying he is no longer naming homicide victims in his songs because it’s childish. He declined News4Jax’s request for comment on Sunday.
If you know anything about Corbin Johnson’s murder, you are asked to call JSO or Crimestoppers.