Daniel Varnes, 47, from Michigan, pleaded no contest on March 3 to second-degree murder, torture, and concealing the death of his girlfriend, Teressa M. Johnson, 46, facing decades in prison.
Case Background
Police discovered Johnson’s mutilated, malnourished body with bruises and blood on September 1, 2024, at the Rodeway Inn and Suites in Saginaw after a drug dealer witnessed it under bed covers the night before and called 911. Varnes had tortured her for two weeks using fists, boots, and pliers to seal her lips; she died around 2:30 p.m. on August 31 from multiple traumatic injuries, ruled a homicide.
Arrest and Confession
Varnes fled but was found hiding in woods nearby; he admitted the beatings, describing Johnson as legally blind and mentally incapacitated. Investigators recovered bloodied tools including pliers, scissors, cutters, and screwdrivers likely from her.
