SEARLES, Minn. – A Minnesota man was arrested after throwing a meth-fueled "death party" for his wife before she died at their home, police said.
Authorities said it was just before noon January 25 when Duane Arden Johnson, 58, called 911 to report the death of his wife, Debra Lynn Johnson, 69, at their home.
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A deputy arrived at the home and saw the words "Death Parde God Hell" spray painted on the front door. Duane Johnson emerged from the home naked, yelled at the deputy that his wife was dead and ran back inside, according to a complaint obtained by the Mankato Free Press.
The deputy said he went inside the home and found Duane Johnson in a bathtub. Duane reportedly told the deputy that he was trying to cleanse little white and black "things" from his body.
The deupty found Debra Johnson's body wrapped in a sheet at the top of a stairway. The body was still warm, according to the deputy, but there was early rigor mortis in her arms. Duane Johnson reporedly said that his wife died about 8:30 that morning, but he wanted to make sure she was dead before he called 911.
Duane Johnson told authorities his wife had been in a nursing home and she begged him to take her home to die. Duane said he and his wife had a "death party" for the final days of her life.
Investigators said that Debra Johnson was at a transitional center when her husband removed her against medical advice. She had suffered from two heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure and mental illness, for which she was on anti-psychotic medication, according to officials.
Duane Johnson said he and his wife were taking methamphetamine and that she had stopped taking her medication in her final days. Duane said his wife couldn't eat or drink, so he used snow to moisten her mouth, and he held her while she suffered convulsions. He said they had sex fewer than two hours before she died, and they had been "rocking out" to their favorite song, "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot.
Duane Johnson said that after his wife died, he washed her and wrapped her in linen "like the Bible told me to."
Authorities said they found four rifles and two shotguns in the house, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Duane Johson reportedly told an investigator that he had 47 guns, many of which were stolen.
Duane Johnson was arrested without incident and charged Friday with criminal neglect, theft and receiving stolen property. He remained in the Brown County Jail with his bail set at $250,000 or $150,000 with conditions.