BRAINERD, Minn. — A 38-year-old Cambridge man charged in the 2018 stabbing death of his sister pleaded not guilty Friday, March 8, by reason of mental illness and said he didn’t know what he was doing at the time of the crime.
David Michael Otey was indicted last February by a Crow Wing County District Court grand jury in Brainerd on first-degree murder with premeditation, which carries a penalty of life in prison. He also was indicted on second-degree intentional murder, which has a 40-year prison sentence. Otey was initially charged Jan. 16, 2018 — three days after the incident — with felony second-degree intentional murder without premeditation in the death of his sister, Danyele Marie Johnson, of Ironton.
According to the criminal complaint:
Otey left Cambridge on Jan. 13, 2018, to travel to the Heartwood Senior Living Community in Crosby to meet with his sister, who worked in the kitchen there. Otey told police he drove throughout the state the previous night thinking about killing his sister.
When Otey arrived, he assisted his sister preparing food for 30 minutes before taking a knife and stabbing her, the complaint stated.
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Johnson was declared dead at the scene.
