A woman pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder and attempted arson in connection with the death of a 94-year-old man in February.
Marie M. Johnson, 45, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty in the Feb. 13 death of Elmer Roehrs at his home at 2705 Holly Street in Alexandria, Va.
Roehrs died as a result of blunt and sharp force injuries to the head and chest, including a stab wound that punctured his aorta.
An investigation revealed Johnson attempted three times unsuccessfully to start a fire at the crime scene, according to a fire marshal.
Johnson was captured on a surveillance camera entering the residence at 1:45 p.m. and leaving at 2:19 p.m. She was further linked to the scene through DNA analysis.
Roehrs's wife, 87-year-old Marian Bouk, owns several condos along Richmond Highway that she rents to people in need, helping them get their lives back together, News4's Pat Collins reported. Neighbors said they would often see tenants dropping off rent checks around the first of the month.
Johnson also pleaded guilty to burglary in a separate incident in which she broke into the same residence on Nov. 27, 2012.
Johnson will be sentenced Aug. 22. She faces a maximum of 40 years in prison for the second degree murder charge, 10 years for attempted arson and 20 years for burglary.
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Roehrs's death was the first homicide in Alexandria in 2013. No homicides were reported in Alexandria in 2012.
