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SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake man was charged Thursday with murder and accused of killing his wife after allegedly telling police he thought he had been cured of his bipolar disorder but his wife died following several days of a "cosmic battle" in his head.
Larry Edward Johnson, 63, is charged in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony; and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony.
Johnson is accused of killing his wife, Victoria Lynn Johnson, 71, on April 2 in their apartment at 535 S. 200 East. On April 4 he went to a relative's house in Pleasant Grove and told family members he had strangled his wife, according to charging documents. His family contacted Pleasant Grove police who then asked Salt Lake police to conduct a welfare check.
Officers responded to the apartment and found Victoria Johnson deceased in a recliner in the living room, the charges state.
Detectives talked to neighbors who said they saw Larry Johnson take numerous items to the garbage chute starting the night of April 1, "including a laptop, clothing and furniture items," according to the charges, and again the next morning. "Video surveillance showed Johnson making approximately 40 trips from his apartment to the garbage chute."
Police say some of the items were collected and taken to the Salt Lake County Landfill prior to investigators learning about Victoria Johnson's death.
When detectives questioned Larry Johnson, he said he was bipolar, but "he heard voices telling him that he was cured and no longer had to take his medications," the charges state.
Because of that, Johnson said he got rid of his medications.
"Johnson said that things seemed normal, and it seemed like he was cured, then several months went by and 'this manifested, so obviously I wasn't cured.' Johnson said that for two or three days it was like he was in a 'cosmic battle getting light and dark, having to continually fight and hopefully come out on top. And then my wife, who I love, Lucifer came and beat her. I get no control. And when I finally came back to consciousness, she was moving no more and was dead,'" he told investigators, according to the charging documents. "I lost the ability to protect her. He took my arm, and I lost control."
Victoria Johnson's cause of death was determined to be strangulation and blunt force trauma.
Prosecutors have requested that Johnson be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.
