Utah man arrested for allegedly murdering his wife two days earlier

The suspect was sent to Salt Lake County Metro Jail and charged with murder and obstruction of justice.

A man was arrested Tuesday after police received a call from a family member claiming he had murdered his wife.

A relative of 63-year-old Larry Johnson called Pleasant Grove police Tuesday and told them Johnson said he killed his wife by strangulation. The couple lived in downtown Salt Lake City, so the Pleasant Grove Police Department contacted the Salt Lake City Police Department for help.

Officers and firefighters then responded to the Wasatch Manor apartment building at 535 S. 200 East, where they found the suspect’s wife, 71-year-old Victoria Johnson, dead.

Larry Johnson was then safely taken into custody at Pleasant Grove, police said. The arrest documents state that Johnson told police that he had not taken his medication for bipolar disorder for several months.

He also told police that he had “lost the ability to protect his wife,” court documents report.

Investigators noted that Johnson had made “multiple trips” to the trash and many areas of the home, including dresser drawers and closets, were found mostly empty.

He was sentenced to Salt Lake County Metro Jail and charged with murder and obstruction of justice.

This article is published by the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of Utah news organizations dedicated to educating readers across the state.