When a loving mother of three suddenly disappeared in June 2007, authorities were puzzled by what had happened. But a few days later, a tip led them to the killer, who eventually confessed to what had happened.
About Marilou
Marilou Johnson is from the Philippines. She had three children from a previous marriage, and according to the show, her father has passed away. At the time of the incident, the 50-year-old woman was in a relationship with Roger Blanchard. She and her three sons lived with Roger in Washington, Michigan. The family became concerned when they were unable to contact Marilou, and Roger reported her disappearance sometime after midnight on June 15, 2007.
The missing person report came more than half a day after Marilou was last seen. According to the information received, the authorities’ search was concentrated in the Cass Lake area near the town of Washington. On June 25, 2007, Marilou’s handbag with her belongings was found in the water. The next day, the search ended when her body was discovered. Marilou was wrapped in a blanket and crushed with cinder blocks. She received six stab wounds to the chest.
Who killed Marilou?
The case took a turn when Marilou’s friend called the authorities with a tip. On June 16, 2007, Tonya Disano informed the police about David Wright, a self-employed local plumber. She claimed that David had acted strangely the previous day and that Roger had lent him money in the past. Authorities also learned that David had a criminal record and his wife had previously put allegation on him of hitting her. So he was put under surveillance.
David’s behavior in the first days after Marilou’s disappearance raised questions. He was seen throwing several items from the back of his truck. The police took the items and noticed plastic bags with blood and hair on them (they later learned it was from an animal). David was arrested at a bus stop for not having the proper license plate. At that time, the police found a bottle of pills with diamonds similar to those in the necklace worn by Marilou.
After being taken into custody, authorities learned that David was at Marilou and Roger’s house to make an estimate for the renovation of the hot tub and jacuzzi. However, Marilou asked him to just fix the toilet because she wanted to discuss the hot tub with Roger first. The investigation also revealed that David borrowed about $50,000 from Roger in 2006, who promised to loan him another $50,000.
How David kill her?
After interrogation, David told the police that he planned to keep Marilou hostage in his trailer until Roger paid up. According to him, he had a fishing knife in his hand when they both tripped over something in their trailer, accidentally cutting her.
However, the authorities did not believe him, as he was unable to explain how the six stab wounds had formed. After Marilou’s death, they sensed that David had entered the house and stolen her purse. He then washed the blood out of a hose in the driveway, took the body to his parents’ cottage near Cass Lake, and buried it nearby. But on June 21, 2007, David dug up the body, wrapped it in a blanket, tied it with rope, crushed it with cinder blocks, and then threw it into the lake. Afterward, he buried the dead opossum in Marilou’s grave to get rid of any potential cadaver dogs.
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