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The Chisago County Attorney’s office is pursuing first degree attempted murder charges against a 73 year old Wyoming male, arrested by Wyoming Police on May 11.

The defendant, James Alan Johnson, was discovered by law enforcement in the basement of his Heims Lake Circle home, as an officer responded to a call from an Amazon delivery truck driver reporting an assault victim.  

The female victim was also in the house with obvious head wounds and heavy bleeding. The victim said her husband, Johnson, had struck her with a hammer a couple times and she kicked at him to get him away.  

The delivery driver had encountered the injured woman and told authorities he ordered Johnson to drop the hammer.  According to the driver, Johnson handed it over and the driver placed it on a table and reported the incident.

The first officer went to the basement to detain the alleged assailant, who reportedly cooperated with police orders.  A second officer arrived and aided the victim until first responders came.

A second count of charges were also filed for second degree assault, with a dangerous weapon. The premeditated charges for first degree attempted murder stem from statements attributed to Joohnson when the officers questioned him.  He appeared to describe his plan that he said he’d been thinking about for days.  He was to knock the victim unconscious and slit her wrists when she was unable to fight back.  He allegedly admitted to striking the victim twice with the hammer.  The court documents state Johnson explained he was distraught because his business was not doing well and he did not want his wife to be left with financial troubles due to his reduced income.

The county attorney’s office said his next hearing is May 20. The Chisago County jail inmate roster showed Johnson still being held early this week.  Straight bail was set at $1 million and there is a reduced bail with conditions available.

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