Man Pleads No Contest to Killing Girlfriend After Torturing Her for 2 Weeks in Motel Room. His Drug Dealer Reported It
Daniel Varnes faces decades in prison after pleading no contest to killing his girlfriend, Teressa M. Johnson
A Michigan man faces decades in prison after he pleaded no contest to killing his girlfriend after torturing her for two weeks in a motel room.
Daniel Varnes, 47, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, torture and concealing a death on Tuesday, March 3, according to MLive, Law & Crime and ABC 12.
Varnes was initially taken into custody on Sept. 1, 2024, after the mutilated body of his then-girlfriend, 46-year-old Teressa M. Johnson, was discovered at the Rodeway Inn and Suites in Saginaw, per MLive.
A drug dealer later testified in a preliminary July 2025 hearing that he had met Varnes in a parking lot near the motel on the evening of Aug. 31, 2024, per the outlet.
The man said that he then visited Varnes’ hotel room in order to get money that he was owed. He said that once in the room, he could see the shape of what looked like a human body under the covers on the bed, per the outlet.
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The drug dealer said that he asked Varnes what the object under the covers was, to which he said Varnes responded, “You know exactly what that is.”
The witness said that Varnes proceeded to lift up the covers and revealed Johnson’s body. The man added that she appeared to have been dead for several days, according to MLive.
Police caution tape (stock image).Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty
The witness said that Varnes claimed Johnson had sustained injuries while visiting relatives and had died upon returning. He also said that he got the impression that Varnes wanted him to help dispose of the body.
The witness said he left the motel room and ultimately called 911 at about 1 a.m. local time on the morning of Sept. 1, 2024, to report what he had seen.
Police stated that Johnson appeared malnourished and had blood and bruises on her body when they arrived at the scene, according to court documents, per MLive.
Police further stated that Varnes fled the scene, but he was later found hiding in local woods.
Varnes was arrested and charged on Sept. 1, 2024, and was held without bond, per public Saginaw County arrest records.
In later statements to police, Varnes admitted to beating Johnson over a two-week period using both his fists and boots, and said he used needle-nosed pliers to keep her lips shut, per MLive. He also allegedly stated that he had last seen Johnson alive at around 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 31, and was afraid to tell authorities about her death after he realized she had died.
Varnes additionally described Johnson as legally blind and mentally incapacitated, per the outlet.
Investigators found a pair of small scissors, a tire plug, a ratchet, a diagonal cutter, screwdrivers and pliers that all tested positive for blood that likely came from Johnson, per police, according to MLive.
A medical exam ruled Johnson’s death a homicide and stated that she died of multiple traumatic injuries, per MLive and ABC 12.
Saginaw Township Police and the Saginaw County Medical Examiner did not immediately return PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
Varnes’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 13, and he is expected to serve 32 years in a state correctional facility, per Law & Crime.
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