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Insanity Acquittal: St. Paul Man Strangled Priest on I-94
9 Aug
Summary
- Man acquitted of murder by reason of mental illness
- Strangled retired priest after hearing voices telling him to kill
- Incident occurred on shoulder of Interstate 94 in St. Paul
On August 1, 2024, a 33-year-old St. Paul man named Nathan Thomas Wondra was involved in a tragic incident on Interstate 94. Wondra called 911 and told dispatchers that he was having a psychotic break and had "choked out" an elderly priest in a vehicle on the interstate's shoulder.
According to the criminal complaint, Wondra said voices in his head told him to kill the 76-year-old priest, Lawrence Johnson, in order to "save humanity." Wondra strangled Johnson, describing it as a long and painful process. He checked the priest's pulse several times during the killing.
After the incident, Wondra was charged with second-degree intentional murder. However, in a Wednesday court document, Ramsey County District Judge Stephen Smith has now acquitted Wondra of the murder charge by reason of mental illness. Prosecutors will now file a petition for civil commitment, and Wondra will be detained in a state hospital or other facility pending the completion of those proceedings.
The trial was a stipulated evidence trial, which means the prosecution and defense agreed on the evidence presented, including police reports, 911 call transcripts, and mental health evaluation reports. Wondra's father told investigators that his son had not shown any recent signs of mental health issues.
