Woman Charged In Husband's Bizarre Death
The wife of a dead lawyer was charged with murder Friday after police discovered suspected human tissue, scalpels and bloody bedding in their Farmington Hills home.
Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper, speaking exclusively with WWJ Friday morning, detailed the charges in the case.
"We've issued a general complaint, which is in the process of being sworn to, for count one of murder in the second degree, alternate count two of manslaughter and count three of the unauthorized practice of medicine -- which is actually, if you're reading it, it's 'practicing as a health professional'," she said.
Laura Johnson, 46, was arraigned Friday morning in 47 District Court in Farmington Hills. She was ordered to remain in jail and a not-guilty plea was entered.
Johnson sobbed and pleaded to be released to attend her husband's funeral. "I will help catch the real people who did this,'' Johnson told Judge Marla Parker.
A defense attorney was not present.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, family attorney Brian Dailey said Lloyd Johnson did not die of stab wounds, but of something different, saying there is more to this case than we know now.
Dailey made that statement based on what he said police took from the man's family home, including bloody sheets, several prescription drugs that belonged to Johnson's wife and, most shocking, possible human tissue.
"The police report that they took several bags of what appeared to be human tissue from the freezer in the kitchen area," Dailey said. "As I indicated to you — this is not a run-of-the-mill stab wound. This is something other than that. That is really all we have at this point," he said.
"There was a tremendous amount of blood in the bathroom and kitchen of the home, and Lloyd needed four units of blood when he was at Botsford,'' Dailey said.
Johnson died at a Botsford Hospital Wednesday morning.
Dailey said Johnson had high amounts of opiates in his system when he arrived at the hospital, which suggests he may have poisoned. Dailey said Johnson had recently told his wife that he wanted a divorce.
The family dog was also found dead was at the home. Dailey said the dog has been poisoned. Earlier reports had said the dog had been stabbed.
Lloyd Johnson, 47, had worked for well-known trial lawyer Geoffrey Fieger until embarking on his own in 2009.
(Copyright 2010 WWJ Radio. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
