Jesse Garza

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A Milwaukee man wanted for beating a different woman 20 years ago is now accused of whipping and torturing his wife and trying for two weeks to nurse her back to health before she died, according to a criminal complaint.

Archie Marquette Griffin, 40, was charged Friday with mayhem-domestic abuse and aggravated battery-domestic abuse in connection with the death of Dorwhitem T. Johnson, 31, according to the complaint.

Griffin is also charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety-domestic abuse, according to a criminal complaint that details how he admittedly beat and kicked Johnson, whipped her with a telephone cord, bit her and burned her with cigarettes on or about Sept. 10.

Police found Johnson dead in a home in the 2400 block of North 16th Street on Tuesday after Griffin called 911, reporting that he had "lost his mind and his wife was injured."

After beating and torturing her, Griffin put Johnson in bed and tried to "nurse her back to health" until placing the 911 call, but Johnson had already been dead for between 10 and 12 hours, according to the complaint.

The final cause of her death is pending toxicology reports from the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office.

In 1998, Griffin was charged with misdemeanor battery in Milwaukee County after being accused of beating another woman, pinching her forearm with a pair of pliers and biting her on the back.

He was released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond, violated a restraining order against his alleged victim, failed to appear in court and was a fugitive in that case until he was arrested Tuesday, according to the complaint.

Griffin, who was also charged with bail jumping in connection with that case, was in the Milwaukee County Jail Friday, his bail set at $300,000, according to the complaint and jail records.