St. Paul man pleads guilty to murdering wife

ST. PAUL, Minn. — A St. Paul man pleaded guilty to murdering his wife on Monday, the day his trial was set to begin.

Johnny Aldridge, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder, according to court records. The records state Aldridge's plea was part of a deal, but there were no corresponding filings to indicate the parameters of said deal.

Johnny Aldridge was charged in September 2021 after he called 911 to report he'd shot his wife, Caitlin Aldridge, according to a criminal complaint. Authorities found her dead of a gunshot wound to the head in their home on the 30 block of Winnipeg Avenue West.

The complaint states Johnny Aldridge's daughter was home when he shot his wife. She told investigators her father had PTSD after being shot in the hand while in his garage earlier that year. He had left home multiple times that summer, she said, and had been carrying a gun because he was afraid of getting shot.

She told investigators that her father was hard on his wife, and they had been fighting over small stuff.

Johnny Aldridge told investigators he shot his wife during an argument over his belief that his daughter had been sexually active, the complaint states.

Johnny Aldridge's sentencing is scheduled for June 28.

Anyone experiencing domestic violence is encouraged to call 911 or The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Violence Free Minnesota also has resources. You can find St. Paul's Blueprint for Safety by clicking here .