Oxford Man Guilty Of Homicide But Mentally Ill, Says Chesco Jury

WEST CHESTER, PA — A 64-year-old Nottingham Township woman told a friend hours before she was murdered, "If something happens to me Danny Profitt did it."

A Chester County jury found Daniel Proffitt, 47, of Oxford, guilty but mentally ill of first-degree homicide and strangulation after a 64-year-old Anna Johnson was found strangled in the East Nottingham Township home she shared with the defendant in 2018, according to a statement from the Chester County District Attorney's Office.

Proffitt will be sentenced at a later date but will spend his life behind bars, the District Attorney's Office said in a statement on July 2.

Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said, "The victim died a horrific death by strangulation at the hands of the defendant. This was a violent, premeditated criminal act that truly demonstrated his depravity and callousness. Today the jury gave justice to Anna Johnson and her loved ones. We are grateful to them for their serious deliberations."

On Dec. 19, 2018, Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and Oxford Police were called to a home on Brick Road in East Nottingham Township for the report of an unresponsive female in the bathroom. When officers arrived, Proffitt was outside the home. He told police that the victim had attacked him with a butcher knife so he killed her in self-defense, the D.A.'s report said.

Investigators determined that Proffitt and the victim argued earlier in the day, but Proffitt left the residence. When he returned later he broke into the bathroom while the victim was naked and about to take a bath. The defendant grabbed the victim's throat and strangled her until she died, the report said.

Investigators later learned that the victim was fearful of the defendant after multiple arguments. Police also recovered a text the victim sent to a friend before her death that stated, "If something happens to me Danny Profitt did it." She was killed hours later, the D.A.'s Office reported.

Ryan said, "We thank the Pennsylvania State Police, Oxford Police Department, and Chester County Detectives for all of their hard work and commitment to this case. This was an excellent example of teamwork and collaboration."

PSP handled the investigation. Chief Deputy District Attorney Michelle Frei and Assistant District Attorney Daniel Hollander were the prosecutors.

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