Wauconda man arrested after wife's $100 drug buy led to husband's death

David W. Johnson, a 70-year-old resident of Wauconda, was taken into custody on Friday after prosecutors linked him to the death of a 68-year-old man. The case stems from a transaction where the victim's wife paid $100 for cocaine at a park in Cary, a purchase that allegedly resulted in the husband's death from overdose.

The McHenry County Sheriff's Office began its investigation on December 19 after finding Scott Torpe dead. A toxicology report confirmed that Torpe died of cocaine toxicity. Prosecutors state that Torpe ingested the drug two days before his body was discovered.

Detectives recovered Torpe's phone and identified a contact named "Dave" who they traced to Johnson. Text messages between Torpe and his wife revealed the use of specific code words, including "parts" and "tinkerbell," to coordinate the drug purchases. Records show Torpe asked his wife to withdraw cash from their bank account for "parts" just days before he was found deceased.

Cell site location data placed Johnson and Torpe's wife in the same location following one of the cash withdrawals. In an interview with detectives, the woman admitted to meeting Johnson at a park in Cary on December 17. She stated she paid him $100 for cocaine intended for her husband.

Johnson spoke with detectives in August, but prosecutors filed charges on October 26. A McHenry County judge issued a warrant for his arrest that same day. Wauconda police officers located Johnson on Friday and arrested him on the warrant. During the arrest, officers found approximately two grams of cocaine and two cell phones in his possession.

Johnson was booked at the McHenry County Jail and appeared in court for an initial hearing on Saturday. The State's Attorney's Office petitioned the court to hold him without bail pending trial. Judge Mary Nader granted the request, noting that Johnson showed no desire to stop selling controlled substances.

Nader stated that Johnson had previously lost a friend to cocaine and was still driving through McHenry and Lake counties with enough product to make deliveries. She ruled that home confinement was insufficient because Johnson could continue selling from his residence or during his two allowed days of leave. The judge also determined that drug testing was not required since Johnson's personal drug use was not the central issue in the case.

This is not Johnson's first encounter with the legal system regarding cocaine. Prosecutors noted that he was convicted in 2006 of possessing more than 900 grams of the drug. Nader observed that Johnson was well aware of the consequences of possessing and delivering cocaine at the time of his 2006 conviction.

State's Attorney Randi Freese commented on the case following the court hearing. She said McHenry County has become a statewide leader in prosecuting drug-induced homicides because the county refuses to let those who sell the drug escape responsibility. Freese added that every prosecution serves as a warning that dealing deadly drugs in the community carries consequences beyond a simple drug charge.

Johnson is scheduled to appear in court again on November 4. He currently faces one count of drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony, and one count of delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony.