A Sahuarita man killed his wife then himself Thursday at their home in Rancho Resort, Sahuarita police said.
According to police, Mark S. Johnson shot his wife, Janet, then called 9-1-1 about 1 p.m. and reported that he “murdered my wife,” then took his own life.
Police declined to disclose whether a note was found at the home or any additional information, citing the homicide investigation. Lt. Michael Falquez said SPD had no prior calls to the home in the 1300 block of Via Cerro Colorado.
Mark Johnson was a regular contributor to the Green Valley News and Sahuarita Sun until about two years ago when he said he had to step away to care for his ill wife. He still contributed photos on occasion and was in regular contact with the newspaper staff.
Ed Pena and his wife, Kathy Eisenhauer, live across the street but were out of state Thursday.
“They were the first people we met when we were moving into our home there (more than 10 years ago),” Pena said. “They were wonderful neighbors, couldn’t have been any better.”
Pena said Johnson “took excellent care” of his wife, adding he loved music and that he and Johnson would sometimes “sit on the driveway and entertain folks as they were walking by.”
They both played for years in a group called the Silver Strummers.
The couple knew Janet Johnson “as a good neighbor across the street” and socialized with her two or three times a year at Rancho Resort events.
“We’re still in shock, we can’t believe it. He was such a wonderful guy,” Pena said. “It’s hard to imagine what would have driven him to do that.”
Homicides are rare in Sahuarita. There was a murder-suicide at a home in Rancho Sahuarita in May 2020 involving a child. In 2019, a home invasion led to the death of a man and the eventual arrests and conviction of four men.
Before those two incidents, it had been 10 years since the last homicide in town limits.
Mary Glen is a North Carolina native who's excited to explore the Tucson area through her reporting with Green Valley News. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill's Hussman School of Journalism and Media in 2019.
Discuss the news on NABUR, a place to have local conversations The Neighborhood Alliance for Better Understanding and Respect ✔ A site just for our local community ✔ Focused on facts, not misinformation ✔ Free for everyone
