DeWayne McCulla, a 45-year-old man reportedly attempted to end the life of his terminally ill wife while she was in hospice care, in the presence of her family, claiming he wanted to “ease her suffering” and expressing willingness to repeat the act if given another opportunity.
McCulla, from Utah, USA, was charged with attempted murder on Wednesday, December 13 after he was accused of choking his wife, Arenda Lee McCulla, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, on December 20, 2021.
The next night, his wife, Arenda McCulla, 47, died from her long battle with the illness.
On the night of the alleged attempted murder, her husband had “choked the victim in an attempt to kill her to ease her suffering while in a hospice,” according to charging documents obtained by KSL.
Six family members reportedly had to pull DeWayne McCulla off his dying wife after they saw her gasping for air, according to the documents.
It remains to be seen why her husband is being charged with attempted murder nearly two years after it allegedly happened.
A La Verkin police officer recalled DeWayne McCulla’s alleged disturbing confession, where he attempted to end his wife’s life in hospice.
“During the conversation with DeWayne McCulla, 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 officer said, according to the court documents.
“He said this was all stopped by family members who observed what he was doing and pulled him off of her.”
McCulla told responding officers that “he would do this again because he loved his wife.”
If found guilty of first-degree murder, McCulla faces 15 years to life in prison, according to state law.
Arenda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, according to a GoFundMe page set up by her son.
Following the life-changing diagnosis, Arenda’s breast cancer spread to her brain, neck, lungs, and liver, all but sealing a terminal state.
Arenda experienced multiple rounds of radiation in a last-ditch effort to battle the fatal sickness.
She received “3600mg of Chemotherapy daily for 2 weeks on 1 week off it only extended her life for a few months; if you can call it living” from October 2021 until her death, her son Anthony Ryder wrote.
