A St. Paul man has been charged in connection with the Aug. 1 death of 76-year-old Father Lawrence “Larry” Johnson.
Nathan Wondra, 32, has been charged with second-degree murder with intent, not premeditated, in connection with the incident, according to a criminal complaint.
According to that complaint, at about 12:40 p.m. Aug. 1, officers responded to a call by a man later identified as Wondra who said the other man in a vehicle with him — later identified as Father Johnson — had not been breathing for about 30 minutes. The caller indicated that the man had stopped breathing after he put his arms around his neck.
Upon arrival at the vehicle, on the side of Interstate 94 near Prior Avenue in St. Paul, officers found two men, Wondra and Father Johnson. Father Johnson was transported by medics to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he was later pronounced dead, the criminal complaint states.
Wondra admitted to a Minnesota State Patrol officer at the scene that “he had just murdered someone,” according to the complaint. Wondra was taken in for questioning.
According to the criminal complaint, Wondra said that he had met Father Johnson at his workplace roughly a year prior. Wondra said that Father Johnson was a “father figure” for him, that Father Johnson would text and check in on him and that they would have lunch together roughly once per month.
Wondra said that on Aug. 1, he and Father Johnson had attended Mass in the chapel at Father Johnson’s residence. After Mass, Wondra said he wanted Father Johnson to drive him to the hospital for a mental health evaluation. While on the way to the hospital, Wondra said he asked Father Johnson to pull over to the side of the interstate, the complaint states.
The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy, ruling Father Lawrence’s cause of death was strangulation.
Wondra’s first appearance in court took place Aug. 2. A psychological examination for Wondra was ordered during a subsequent hearing Aug. 5.
Father Johnson, who was ordained in 1975, served at a number of parishes in the archdiocese: Guardian Angels in Chaska (2000-2007), St. Martin and St. Walburga both in Rogers (1997-2000), St. John the Evangelist in Hopkins (1994-1996), St. Joseph in Red Wing (1992-1994), Presentation of Mary in Maplewood (1988-1992), St. Gregory the Great in North Branch and Sacred Heart in Rush City (1985-1988), Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Minneapolis (1984-1985), St. Scholastica in Heidelberg (1981-1984), St. Wenceslaus in New Prague (1980-1984), Ascension in Minneapolis (1977-1980) and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Bloomington (1975-1977). Father Johnson retired from active ministry in 2009.
