A 46-year-old Utah man, DeWayne McCulla, has pleaded guilty to attempted manslaughter after trying to end the life of his terminally ill wife, Arenda Lee McCulla, in December 2021. According to court documents and media reports, DeWayne claimed he attempted to kill his wife out of a desire to “ease her suffering” as she battled an aggressive form of cancer.
A desperate act amid terminal illness
DeWayne’s wife, 47, was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer in 2020, a disease that tragically spread to her brain, lungs, and liver by 2021. Despite multiple rounds of radiation therapy, her cancer had progressed to a terminal stage, leaving hospice care as her only option. DeWayne, believing that Arenda was in unbearable pain, attempted to choke her to death while she was under hospice care.
Court documents reveal that DeWayne admitted to authorities that he placed his hand around Arenda’s neck, intending to end her life to “make her pass away quicker.” He explained to detectives that he applied pressure near her carotid artery, believing this would ease her suffering.
Family’s intervention and aftermath
During the incident, family members intervened, pulling DeWayne away as Arenda gasped for air. Sadly, Arenda passed away the following night from her long struggle with cancer. Her son, Anthony Ryder, expressed his heartbreak, stating, “She didn’t die with dignity.”
In 2022, Mr. Ryder filed a police report against his father, leading to an investigation. DeWayne confessed to his actions during interviews with investigators, and he even declared that “he would do it again” because of his love for Arenda.
Legal proceedings and sentencing
Initially, DeWayne McCulla faced charges of attempted murder, a serious crime that could have resulted in a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. However, as part of a plea agreement, McCulla pleaded guilty to attempted manslaughter, a third-degree felony. This reduced charge means he now faces up to five years in state prison.
DeWayne McCulla’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 12, when the court will determine the outcome of his case. This tragic story raises difficult questions about the line between mercy and crime in situations involving terminal illness and suffering.
