Wife of slain runner apparently kills herself, police say

SUNNYVALE, Texas — The widow of a runner fatally stabbed earlier this month on a popular biking and walking trail in the Dallas area was found dead in a suspected suicide, authorities said.

The body of Patti Stevens, 54, was found Sunday in the garage of the suburban home she had shared with her husband, 53-year-old Dave Stevens, for the past six years. No foul play appears to be involved, and police suspect that she died from carbon-monoxide poisoning.

Her husband was stabbed to death Oct. 12 with a machete-like blade as he ran his usual three-times-a-week route around White Rock Lake before heading to work.

Thomas Johnson, a former Texas A&M wide receiver who walked away from football after 10 games, has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with Dave Stevens' death.

Since Johnson left the College Station, Texas, team in 2012, he apparently has been fighting schizophrenia. Some family members have said he was suffering from increasing delusions; his mother has said he had been trying to fight his demons with religion.

After Dave Stevens was stabbed to death, police said Johnson borrowed a man's cellphone to call 911 and confess to the crime.

He told police "he left a man lying on the ground with sword in his head," according to his arrest affidavit.

After her husband's violent death, Patti Stevens asked for privacy.

"This is a horrible, senseless tragedy and we are devastated with the loss of such a wonderful man," she wrote in a statement released to the media. "It has created a huge hole in our hearts. As his family and friends begin to grieve, we would appreciate being given our privacy during this most difficult time."

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