SEARLES, Minn. — A 58-year-old man from southeastern Minnesota is charged with criminal neglect after his wife's death and the bizarre, drug-addled events that led up to it.
Duane Arden Johnson is also charged with receiving stolen property allegedly discovered after investigators discovered Johnson's 69-year-old wife Debra Lynn Johnson dead in the upstairs of their home in Searles.
A criminal complaint details how Brown County deputies were dispatched to a home on the 18000 block of Sperl Avenue Jan. 24 on reports of a dead person. When they arrived deputies noticed that a message had been painted on the front door in red spray paint reading "Death Parade God Hell." A naked man, later identified as Duane Johnson, swung open the screen door and yelled "My wife is dead upstairs." He then ran back into the house and jumped into a bathtub. Johnson reportedly told a deputy he was taking a bath to get rid of the little black and white things coming from his skin. The deputy saw nothing on the defendant's skin.
Debra Lynn Johnson's body was found at the top of the stairs, wrapped tightly in a bed sheet from head to toe and secured with a belt. When asked why he wrapped her up, deputies say Johnson said "I prepared the dead like the bible told me to." He allegedly told them she had been in a nursing home, was in ill-health and just wanted to die at home.
When interviewed by investigators Johnson said he had been throwing Debra a "death party" for five days, during which they played loud rock music, smoked methamphetamine and laid in bed, with him holding her when she shook or convulsed. When asked why he didn't call authorities after she passed away, he told them "I wanted to make sure she was dead."
During the interrogation Duane Johnson referenced the Old Testament often and stated he didn’t assist his wife in her death, adding that he only wanted her to be comfortable. He stated he was in less pain now that his wife had died because God had given him mercy and relieved some of his pain.
Medical officials confirmed for investigators that Debra Johnson was in ill-health, having suffered two cardiac arrests and was dealing with out-of-control diabetes and high blood pressure. She was also taking medications for a mental illness.
While searching the Johnson's home officers located at least 47 guns, many of which were listed as stolen.
