On a Tuesday morning in the small town of Carmel, Maine, a discovery was made that brought a quiet end to a long and loving marriage. Patricia Haskell Johnson, a 69-year-old Caucasian woman, was found deceased in her Hampden Road home on November 8, 2011. She was not alone; her husband of 53 years, 74-year-old Laurel Johnson, lay with her.
For a decade, Patricia had been battling Alzheimer's disease.
Her husband, Laurel, was her devoted and constant caregiver, ensuring she could live out her days in the comfort of their home as she wished. A hospice worker, who visited the home daily to assist with Patricia's care, arrived for a scheduled appointment on that Tuesday morning to find the house locked and was unable to enter. Concerned, she contacted family members who then entered the home and made the tragic discovery in a bedroom.
The Maine State Police were called to the scene, and their investigation determined the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. Detectives concluded that Laurel Johnson had shot his wife, Patricia, with a. 22-caliber rifle before turning the weapon on himself. The State Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that both died from gunshot wounds. The couple was last seen alive the evening before, leaving a community to grapple with the somber end to a long life shared. No arrests were made as the perpetrator was also deceased.
