Husband Accused Of Killing Wife With A Hammer: Police

OAKLAND COUNTY, MI — 55-year-old Patrick Lee Johnson is accused of murdering his wife in Pontiac's first homicide case of the year, according to a press release. Police believe the murder weapon was a hammer.

The incident unfolded on Jan. 18 at 11:11 p.m. Deputies responded to a 911 call at a residence in the 600 block of E. Beverly in Pontiac. Once on the scene, Deputies found Johnson outside, who reported he hit his wife with a hammer, according to the police report. The victim, 56-year-old Karen Leanna Johnson, was in an upstairs bedroom non-responsive and suffering from severe head trauma, according to a police report. She was taken to McLaren Oakland Hospital for treatment and pronounced dead on Jan. 31.

Deputies report that Johnson shared he and his wife were getting a divorce and she wanted money to move. However, Johnson said that he didn’t want to give her any money and an argument ensued, sparking him to hit his wife in the head multiple times with the hammer, according to Deputies.

The Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide. On Feb. 3, Johnson was arraigned before the Honorable Judge Preston Thomas in the 50th District Court on the charge of “Open Murder." Johnson was ordered held without bond and is next in court on Feb. 14.

Photo courtesy of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office