A Utah man has pled guilty to attempted manslaughter after trying to euthanize his cancer-stricken wife. He said he was trying to "ease her suffering."
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47-year-old Arenda Lee McCulla developed breast cancer in 2020. It spread to her brain, lungs, neck, and liver. She was in a lot of pain before she ended up passing away from cancer in 2021. Her son Ryder said the cancer stopped her from using her right arm. It caused "lower quality of life and terrible physical pain."
Ryder said that his mom's husband DeWayne McCulla took it upon himself to try to end his mom's life. He said he visited his mother with other family when they saw McCulla attempting to choke Arenda to death. Ryder filed a complaint in 2022 against the Utah man.
Police charged McCulla with attempted murder. He "admitted to placing his hand over the victim Arenda's neck in an attempt to ease her suffering as she was dying from cancer and was on hospice."
McCulla explained that other family members prevented him from euthanizing his wife. The Utah man said he was tired of seeing her suffer.
Utah Man Tries To Kill Wife
"He said this was all stopped by family members who observed what he was doing and pulled him off of her. DeWayne said he would do this again because he loved his wife."
Police charged him with attempted murder. Ultimately, the Utah man agreed to a plea deal that saw him plea to attempted manslaughter. Ryder said that the Utah man's claim "that his actions were in benevolence of [his] mother is ludicrous."
In an interview with KSL, Ryder said that he doesn't agree with the plea deal, believing the Utah man deserves murder charges. He said his mom was someone who "protected vulnerable people."
"She tried to see the good in people. My mother was a survivor who's had a lot of things happen in her life that have been very trying. She turned that into being a thriver in life."
He also wrote, "Dear Mom: I think of all the things you have given me, Sacrifice, devotion, love and tears. Your heart, your mind, your energy and soul. You loved me with never failing love. You have given me strength. And sweet security. You allowed me to be me. I will be losing my support, my light. In this darkness I will take your example and try to find light, even if just a ray, just enough to hold on, hold on to life."
