St. George man stabs caretaker multiple times in unprovoked attack, police say

ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) — A 72-year-old man has been arrested for murder in St. George after stabbing his caretaker repeatedly in an unprovoked attack, according to St. George Police.

Keith Dee Johnson, 72, of St. George, was arrested early Saturday morning on charges of murder (first-degree felony) and interfering with a peace officer (class B misdemeanor).

At around 2 a.m. on May 24, police responded to a call for a stabbing victim on the 1200 block of W Shadow Point Dr. The caller reportedly stated that they had seen their female neighbor covered in blood while running and screaming, knocking on multiple neighbors’ doors. Multiple callers reported the incident as a result.

Upon arrival, police found a female in the porch area of a residence with “significant blood loss surrounding her laying on the ground,” court documents state. The victim told officers that she was stabbed by her client, Keith Johnson, whom she had been taking care of through Chrysalis — an organization that provides supported living services for people with intellectual disabilities still living at home with parents or at their own home. She was then taken to St. George Regional Hospital.

Police searched the area and found a residence with blood spatter on the front door, court documents state, across the street from where the victim was lying on the ground. Officers spoke with a Chrysalis manager and were directed to a specific unit where Johnson was believed to be located.

Upon arriving at the unit, police found the front door open with blood inside the home. Officers entered and saw Johnson on the second floor of the unit. They then placed Johnson into custody as Johnson resisted arrest, “tensing his arms and attempting to pull away from the officer’s grip,” court documents state.

During his arrest, Johnson allegedly stated, “She attacked me,” without having been asked any questions.

Medical personnel with the victim told police that they found “stab wounds to her chest, upper back towards the spine, back of the head, hand, and ankle.” The victim was immediately taken into surgery as doctors believed the stab wound to her chest had nicked an artery near her heart. According to court documents, the victim is still alive at this time.

Prior to her being taken into surgery, the victim told police that she had been sitting on the couch in the residence when Johnson attacked her unprovoked from behind. He allegedly stabbed her multiple times before she fell to the floor. She told police she was then able to grab the knife from him to prevent him from continuing to stab her.

The victim told police she was able to separate herself from Johnson and ran from the residence, seeking help from neighbors.

Police observed Johnson to have blood on his shoes, pants, shirt, jacket, and face. He reportedly refused to speak with officers regarding the incident. When he was arrested, police found that he had several bags and believed him to be a significant flight risk.

Johnson was booked into Washington County Jail on the aforementioned charges. No further information is available at this time.