A 60-year-old man from Panama City, Florida, identified as Gary Johnson, has been taken into custody on charges of felony improper storage of human remains. The charges stem from an incident where Johnson allegedly left his deceased wife’s body on their home’s floor for several days, during which time their two dogs reportedly chewed off her foot.
The incident came to light on a Saturday when Johnson dialed 911, reporting an unidentified individual in his residence and expressing his belief that his wife, Evamarie MacGregor, was deceased. The information was revealed in a probable cause affidavit. Upon arrival at the Lantana Street residence, the police found no one answering the door. However, an officer spotted a woman’s body lying on her back on the living room floor, surrounded by blood, through a window.
The police forced entry into the house to check on MacGregor’s condition, quickly ascertaining that she was deceased. The affidavit detailed the gruesome scene, stating that MacGregor was clearly dead, with skin missing from her face and her entire left foot removed. Johnson was found in the house, appearing disoriented and not fully aware of his surroundings.
Johnson reportedly told the police that his wife’s foot was missing because their two dogs had chewed on it. In a subsequent recorded interview at the police station, Johnson allegedly stated that he had heard his wife calling for help from the living room, but by the time he reached her, she was already dead.
Johnson claimed that MacGregor had passed away approximately four days prior. However, the affidavit noted that the state of decomposition suggested that she had been dead for more than five days. Johnson allegedly kept his wife’s body on the living room floor because he did not want to lose her.
During the police interview, Johnson reportedly admitted that he should have sought medical assistance or contacted the police when MacGregor had her “medical episode.” The cause of MacGregor’s death remains unknown as her body has been turned over to the medical examiner’s office for further investigation.
Johnson was arraigned on Wednesday and is currently being held in the county jail on a $5,000 bond. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for January 18.