LEAGUE CITY, Texas – Shaun Hardy burst into tears when police arrived at his front door on Dec. 30, according to court records.
In Hardy’s garage, officers said they found the decomposing body of his wife, Anne-Christine Johnson, who was reported missing for more than two weeks.
Police said her body was wrapped in plastic and surrounded by scented candles.
According to the documents, Hardy admitted getting into a fight with Johnson.
Police said there was a struggle between Johnson and Hardy. He told police his ex-wife had a knife.
Hardy told police she pressed the knife tip to her chest area, and Shaun then kicked the knife hilt, driving the knife blade into Anne's body," officials said.
Hardy said, "Threw her on the ground... as hard as I could."
He then put a plastic bag around her head to put her out of her misery, police said.
Christine’s friend, Jen Elkins, said Hardy had tried to kill Johnson once before.
Elkins said Hardy had beat and choked her so badly she had to be hospitalized in June 2015.
After that, Johnson and Hardy were divorced, but Hardy won custody of their 5-year-old, special-needs son, Elkins said.
“She was always scared of him,” she said.
And even after they were separated, Elkins said Hardy continued to harass Johnson.
“He was constantly texting her, constantly accusing her of things, constantly trying to have control of her,” Elkins said.
Elkins said she had convinced her friend to go to a women’s shelter for help, but two days later, Johnson went back to Hardy because he told her he'd been diagnosed with cancer.
“She called me and said that she had to move back in with Shaun because he had cancer and he was dying and it was terminal,” Elkins said.
Elkins said Johnson did it for her son and worried that Hardy would no longer be able to care for him.
Johnson and Elkins worked together as waitresses at a Kemah tavern called Stuttgartens. Owner John Mortensen and other friends are holding a fundraiser for her child and funeral expenses for Johnson’s family next Saturday.
The fundraiser is located at Stuttgarden at 609 Bradford Ave. in Kemah.