Man Charged with Murder After Wife Found Beaten, Wrapped in Comforter
Charges filed Monday in the murder of a 66-year-old Saint Paul woman detail the gruesome scene found by investigators inside a home on the 1400 block of Dale St. N.
Early Sunday, Jan. 23, officers were called to the home and found Arvid Harry Johnson, 66, smoking a cigarette at the kitchen table, according to a criminal complaint. They found his wife Linda M. Johnson, 66, on the floor in a bedroom of the home, with obvious trauma to her face and head.
Investigators found Linda Johnson’s body wrapped in a tan comforter and a small wooden bat with what appeared to be blood on it nearby. They also found a note written on a paper towel in the bedroom that read, “I didn’t mean to hurt my wife. I love my wife,” with the shape of a heart.
Linda Johnson was pronounced deceased in the bedroom by paramedics and her death later ruled a homicide.
Arvid Johnson was taken to police headquarters and interviewed, where he allegedly admitted to striking his wife repeatedly in the face and head with his hands.
According to the criminal complaint, Johnson told investigators that his daughter, her husband and his grandson live upstairs.
“I do everything for her,” Johnson told investigators, according to the documents. “I take care of her, she has arthritis, I go and get her food, it's never good enough, she is just so mean.”
Johnson told investigators that he and Linda started to argue earlier that night after she allegedly refused to allow their grandson to sleep in their bed. The grandson went back upstairs and Johnson said “something went off,” he slammed Linda to the ground and “just couldn’t stop,” according to the documents.
Johnson said that he attempted to kill himself by cutting his wrist, but couldn’t, and eventually told his daughter of the crime.
Johnson was formally charged with 2nd-degree murder (without intent), which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
Previously: Man Jailed After Woman Found Fatally Injured in Saint Paul