Tenant arrested for allegedly decapitating landlord with a sword over rent dispute

A Connecticut man allegedly decapitated his landlord after he was told he needed to move out over overdue rent, police said.

Jerry David Thompson was arrested and charged with murder for allegedly beheading his landlord, Victor King, who rented him out a room in his home in Hartford, Connecticut.

The altercation between the pair first started after the Hartford Police Department responded to a 911 phone call from Mr King, 64, on Saturday.

He told police his 42-year-old roommate, Mr Thompson, was “waving a sword at him in a threatening and terrorising manner” over a rent dispute, according to an arrest warrant.

Mr King gave police his contact information after discussing the incident. It was unclear if the police ever spoke to Mr Thompson.

Then police received a call from a neighbour and a separate friend on Sunday asking for a wellness check on Mr King as they both were worried about his safety.

Police entered the residence on Sunday afternoon to discover Mr King dead with his body badly slashed and covered in bloody bedding.

A medical examiner suggested Mr King’s injuries were consistent with a large edged weapon, according to CNN, and noted “lacerations to the landlord’s right arm, upper chest and across the neck causing decapitation”.

Police questioned Mr Thompson, who refused to answer any questions or speak. He then wrote on a piece of paper that a “paper in glove compart in Jeep is all you need”, police said.

After obtaining a search warrant, investigators discovered paperwork in Mr Thompson’s vehicle that suggested he believed he was a “sovereign citizen” or an individual not subjected to any statues and can interpret laws in their own way.

Mr Thompson appeared in court on Tuesday and reportedly refused to speak to his public defender. He will be held in jail in lieu of $2m bond and is expected to again appear in court on 15 August.

Jim Banks, a cousin of Mr King, described his relative as “one of the good guys” when speaking to the Hartford Courant.

“One that would never hurt a soul,” he said. “One that would always reach out and help others. He was pleasant as can be. Always seemed to be happy. He was just a joy to be around.”

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