Sahuarita man arrested months after woman's death

A Sahuarita man has been arrested in connection with a death of a woman he told deputies had fallen off a ladder, officials say.

Roger Johnston called 911 about 5:00 p.m. April 22, saying he was performing CPR on a woman who had fallen off a ladder at a house in the 2900 block of West Curly Road in Sahuarita, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday in a news release.

Abagail Smith, 38, died later at the hospital.

Detectives continued to investigate "when details related to the reported incident did not correspond to Smith’s death," the news release said.

Johnston told detectives that Smith fell off a ladder, hit her head on a raised entry to his mobile home, briefly lost consciousness and then said she felt woozy, according to an interim complaint filed in Pima County Justice Court.

Johnston, 43, also told detectives that the two were smoking methamphetamine prior to his call to 911, court documents say.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Blood was found both inside and outside of the mobile home, the complaint says.

Smith suffered extensive head injuries, an emergency room doctor told detectives, according to the complaint.

Johnston was on probation for felony assault of another woman at the time of the incident, according to the complaint.

Johnston was arrested July 10 and booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of second-degree murder, the release said.