KEYCA man has been sentenced to jail after he reportedly threw his terminally ill wife a drug-fuelled ‘death party’.
59-year-old Duane Arden Johnson told authorities his wife had ‘begged’ him to take her home, as she was in a nursing facility at the time, so she could die at home.
Against medical advice, Johnson took his 69-year-old wife Debra home, where the couple held what they called a ‘death party’, which involved them taking methamphetamine, having sex, and listening to their favourite song, Metal Health (Bang Your Head) by Quiet Riot.
Brown County Sheriff's OfficeAppearing in Brown County District Court, Minnesota, Johnson was given a three-year sentence after he pleaded guilty to criminal neglect. The 59-year-old entered a plea deal, and was reportedly given credit for 201 days he had already served behind bars.
According to a police report, during the party Johnson ran outside the house naked, shouted that his wife was dead, before running back inside.
Police apparently found him in a bathtub in the house, where he said he was trying to clean ‘little white and black things’ off his skin.
Authorities also found 47 guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in the house, the New York Post reports.
PA ImagesThe ‘death party’ reportedly went on for days. It is believed Debra stopped taking her medication at the time, with Johnson waiting several hours before contacting authorities after she had passed away.
The incident happened in January this year, with Johnson first appearing in court in March, before being sentenced on Monday this week, August 12.
An autopsy determined Debra died of methamphetamine toxicity. Johnson said in court his wife was having convulsions before she died, but passed away peacefully at their home.
When police arrived, they found the words ‘Death Parde God Hell’ spray-painted on the door.
KEYCAs part of his plea deal, in which he admitted to criminal neglect, as well as giving his wife the methamphetamine which killed her, a third-degree murder charge was dismissed, People reports.
In court on Monday, a judge ruled Johnson serve three years, with at least 19 months served in prison. The 201 days he had already spent in jail would count towards his sentence.
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or email via http://www.talktofrank.com/contact 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Or Live Chat at http://www.talktofrank.com/livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week.
Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.