A Utah man who is accused of trying to kill his terminally ill wife “choked” her to “ease her suffering,” according to court documents.
DeWayne McCulla, 45, was charged with attempted murder on Wednesday, two years after the death of his wife, Arenda Lee McCulla, 47, from breast cancer.
Ms McCulla died on 21 December 2021 after receiving hospice care, but on the night of 20 December, six family members say Mr McCulla “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 obtained by KSL.
It is unclear why charges were filed nearly two years after Arenda’s death, but police said Mr McCulla admitted to placing his hand over his wife’s neck during a phone call with police.
“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 for the 45-year-old’s arrest. If found guilty of first-degree murder, Mr McCulla faces 15 years to life in prison, according to state law.
The couple, who were married in 2020, lived in La Verkin, Washington County, at the time of Ms McCulla’s death.
Arenda Lee McCulla was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2020— (GoFundMe)
Ms McCulla was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, which then returned and spread to her brain, neck, liver and lungs.
Days before her death, her son Anthony Ryder posted an update on a GoFundMe page for medical expenses which explained the “trauma, mutilation and pain” his mother had gone through.
“After having radiation in the beginning of October and 3600mg of Chemotherapy daily for two weeks on one week off it only extended her life for a few months; if you can call it living,” he wrote.
“Radiation burns that it caused open sores and blisters in her throat making it impossible to eat, so much so she went almost an entire week not being able to eat anything but an Ensure Shake. These are the cruelties of breast cancer.”
Before her cancer diagnosis, Ms McCulla had been an avid mountain biker.
She also volunteered at a youth rehabilitation centre, her son wrote on her GoFundMe page.
Following her death, Mr Ryder paid tribute to his “first best friend.”
“We lost a wife, mother, sister, and friend. We had a wonderful best friend, side kick, and was the brightest in the room. One who never had the chance to grow old,” he wrote.
“She was my first love, my first friend, and my first enemy. During this whole process I’ve been trying to find the words for something lost.
“Those long childhood afternoons of watching Golden Girls under a blanket that vanished so completely- and why? We are still reminded sometimes by a joke, a good ride, and youth energy.”
He continued: “Just like in life, she brought the family together, brought a ton of laughs that was cathartic.
“But I would be lying if the last 12hrs weren’t one of the most traumatic experiences in our lives.
“I had to remember it wasn’t about myself at this moment. I held her hand as she grasped for breath and watched her take her last breath. I love you mom.”
