Man's no-contest plea in girlfriend's motel torture case reported by dealer
Daniel Varnes could receive a lengthy prison sentence after pleading no contest to the murder of his girlfriend
A man from Michigan is now facing a lengthy prison sentence after he entered a no contest plea to the charges of killing his girlfriend following two weeks of torture in a motel room.
Daniel Varnes, aged 47, formally pleaded no contest this past Tuesday, March 3, to charges including second-degree murder, torture, and hiding a death as reported by MLive, Law & Crime, and ABC 12.
On September 1, 2024, Varnes was apprehended after police found his girlfriend, 46-year-old Teressa M. Johnson's, mutilated body at the Rodeway Inn and Suites in Saginaw, as stated by MLive.
Testifying in a preliminary hearing in July 2025, a drug dealer shared that he'd crossed paths with Varnes in a parking lot close to the motel on the evening of August 31, 2024, according to the outlet.
The dealer claimed he went to Varnes' motel room to retrieve money he was owed. Once there, he noticed what resembled a human form beneath the bed covers, the outlet reported.
The dealer inquired about the object under the covers, to which Varnes reportedly replied, “You already know what that is.”
The witness recounted how Varnes exposed Johnson’s body by lifting the covers, pointing out that it appeared she'd been deceased for several days, as per MLive.
The witness added that Varnes suggested Johnson had come to harm while visiting relatives and passed away thereafter. He thought Varnes was hinting for assistance in disposing of the body.
The witness exited the room and proceeded to dial 911 around 1amblocal time on September 1, 2024, to report his observations.
According to court documents referenced by MLive, police noted Johnson’s emaciated condition and observed blood stains and bruises upon their arrival.
They added that Varnes had fled but was soon discovered hiding amidst nearby woodland.
Arrested and charged on September 1, 2024, Varnes was denied bail, as indicated by public Saginaw County arrest records.
In subsequent police statements, Varnes admitted to assaulting Johnson over a two-week span using both his fists and boots, further mentioning the use of needle-nosed pliers to keep her lips shut, as reported by MLive.
He allegedly confessed to seeing her alive at roughly 2:30pm on August 31, fearing the repercussions upon realising she had passed away.
Varnes depicted Johnson as having legal blindness and mental incapacity, according to the outlet.
Investigators uncovered small scissors, a tire plug, a ratchet, a diagonal cutter, screwdrivers, and pliers, all bearing blood traces likely belonging to Johnson, per police reports highlighted by MLive.
A medical autopsy corroborated Johnson's demise as a homicide due to multiple traumatic injuries, noted by MLive and ABC 12.
Both Saginaw Township Police and the Saginaw County Medical Examiner did not initially respond to PEOPLE’s inquiries for comments.
Varnes' sentencing is slated for April 13, where he is anticipated to serve a 32-year sentence in a state prison, as per Law & Crime.