MCMINN COUNTY, Tenn. — A McMinn County man was apprehended in Georgia and has been charged in the murder of his wife after her body was found at their residence on Thursday, May 30.
Deputies were called to do a wellness check for Debbie Johnson, who had not been to work that day. Upon arrival, police found Debbie on the front porch, dead from a gunshot wound.
“The officers were familiar with this residence and this family,” said McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy. “Unfortunately, we had been there before due to threats and domestic violence issues with Mrs. Johnson’s husband, James Coy 'Jay' Johnson.”
James Johnson was arrested on assault charges and resisting arrest after a domestic violence incident with his wife in 2023, officials say.
James Johnson was eventually put in custody by the West Point, Georgia Police Department, who said they had him in custody on several charges, including DUI, the sheriff said.
“A hold was placed on Mr. Johnson, and the extradition process was begun in order for him to be brought back to McMinn County and face the charges for Murder in the First-Degree, which is expected to occur within a few days," he said.