Missing Wisconsin woman Beth Johnson's remains found; Minnesota man arrested
06/24/2020 9:54 am PDT
via WEAU:
ALMA, Wis. (WEAU) -- The Wisconsin Department of Justice announced human remains found in Blaine, Minnesota last week have been identified as Beth Johnson.
The Department said Randall Merrick of Rochester, Minnesota has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide, domestic abuse and hiding a corpse.
KSTP reports Beth Johnson's remains were found in Blaine following the arrest of Randall Q. Merrick, 48, of Rochester last week, according to a release from the Wisconsin Attorney General's Office.
Johnson, 50, was last seen at her home in the village of Nelson on Christmas Day of 2016.
According to a criminal complaint, Merrick allegedly murdered Johnson relating to an act of domestic abuse. At the time of her disappearance, they were roommates and Johnson acted as a caregiver to Merrick, KSTP reports.
A month after Johnson was last seen, her son received a receipt from her debit card showing Merrick signed the receipt for buying a sledgehammer, trash bags and industrial cleaning products. In April 2018, a K9 searching the area of Johnson's home came upon decomposing human remains.
Two months later, a witness reportedly saw Merrick crying and said he allegedly admitted "I killed her."
MORE:
