A Utah husband has now been criminally charged with attempting to kill his terminally ill wife in an effort to “assuage her suffering.”
DeWayne McCulla, 45, is accused of trying to strangle his late wife, Arenda Lee McCulla, while she was receiving hospice care.
Arenda, 47, passed away on December 21, 2021, after a grueling battle with breast cancer that required several rounds of radiation and chemotherapy.
The man “strangled the victim” in front of six family members and had to be “pulled off her,” according to charging documents obtained by KSL.
When questioned, McCulla stated that “he would do this again because he loved his wife,” police said.
DeWayne McCulla, 45, is accused of attempting to murder his terminally ill wife, Arenda Lee McCulla, 47, 'to alleviate her suffering'
McCulla is accused of trying to strangle his wife in front of her family and only stopping when he was pulled away
Police said McCulla admitted his actions when questioned and said he would do so again because he loved his wife. In the photo: Arenda with her son Michael Ryder
McCulla was charged with attempted murder in 5th District Court on Wednesday. It is not known why the prosecutor only filed charges two years after Arenda's death.
La Verkin police said McCulla admitted to the crime when they called to get his version of events.
“During the conversation with DeWayne, he admitted that he placed his hand on victim Arenda's neck in an attempt to ease her suffering as she was dying of cancer and in hospice care,” the complaint states.
“He said this was all stopped by family members who observed what he was doing and pulled him off her. DeWayne said he would do this again because he loved his wife.”
Arenda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, which subsequently returned and spread to her brain, neck, liver and lungs.
Days before her death, her son Anthony Ryder posted an update about a GoFundMe medical costs page, which provided an insight into the harrowing “trauma, mutilation and pain” his mother went through.
'After she had radiation treatment in early October and received 3600 mg of chemotherapy daily for two weeks, it only extended her life by a few months; if you can call it alive.
“Radiation burns that caused open sores and blisters in her throat, making it impossible to eat, so much so that she couldn't eat anything but a Secure Shake for almost an entire week. These are the atrocities of breast cancer.”
Arenda was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, which subsequently spread to her brain, liver, lungs and neck
The mother died on December 21, 2021, but charges were not filed against her husband until two years later
Arenda was an avid mountain biker before her illness and volunteered to help troubled youth in La Verkin, Utah
The McCullas married in January 2020. Arenda moved from Binghampton, New York, to southern Utah 15 years earlier.
Before she became ill, Arenda was described as an avid mountain biker and a big part of the local community in the Hurricane and La Verkin area.
Originally from Binghampton, New York, she moved to southern Utah in 2005 and worked as a volunteer at a youth rehabilitation center for many years. The McCullas married in January 2020, according to the late mother's Facebook page.
An obituary written by Ryder paid tribute to his “first best friend.”
'We lost a wife, mother, sister and friend. We had a great best friend, sidekick, and were the smartest in the room. Someone who never had the chance to grow old,” he wrote.
'She was my first love, my first friend and my first enemy. Throughout this process I have been trying to find the words for something that has been lost.
'Those long childhood afternoons spent under a blanket watching Golden Girls, which disappeared so completely – and why? We are sometimes reminded of it through a joke, a good ride and youth energy.
“Just like in life, she brought the family together and brought a lot of laughter that was cathartic.
“But I'd be lying if the last twelve hours weren't one of the most traumatic experiences of our lives.
“I had to remember that this moment wasn't about me. I held her hand as she gasped and watched her take her last breath. I love you mom.'