A southern Utah man is facing an attempted murder charge after he allegedly admitted to investigators that he tried to kill his wife two years ago to ease her suffering from terminal cancer.
As reported by ABC4, DeWayne McCulla, 45, was charged Wednesday with attempted murder, a first-degree felony, court documents filed in Washington County show. It is not yet clear why the charges are being filed now when the incident allegedly took place in 2021.
McCulla's wife, Arenda Lee McCulla, 47, died on Dec. 21, 2021 of breast cancer. However, on the night of Dec. 20, 2021, a day before her demise, six family members reported to police that DeWayne "choked the victim in an attempt to kill her to ease her suffering while they were with her during her terminal cancer and being on hospice," according to charging documents.
The McCullas were living in La Verkin, Washington County, at the time. A La Verkin police officer called DeWayne McCulla to get his version of what happened.
"During the conversation with DeWayne, he admitted to placing his hand over the victim Arenda's neck in an attempt to ease her suffering as she was dying from cancer and was on hospice," the charges state. "He said this was all stopped by family members who observed what he was doing and pulled him off of her."
"DeWayne said he would do this again because he loved his wife."
A warrant was issued Wednesday for McCulla's arrest. If convicted of the first-degree attempted murder charge, he could face up to life in prison.
