A rent dispute between a landlord and his tenant in Hartford, Connecticut, ended with a gruesome outcome.
According to CNN, police first responded to a 911 call on Saturday when Victor King reported an incident with his tenant and roommate, Jerry Thompson. King told police that Thompson was "waving a sword at him in a threatening and terrorizing manner" because they were arguing about overdue rent.
A day later, the Hartford Police Department received more calls regarding the two men. One call came from a neighbor, and another was from King's friend. The callers told police that they were worried about the safety of the landlord.
Police said they arrived at the house on Sunday and found the deceased landlord "covered by numerous articles of bedding" on the kitchen floor. The medical examiner determined that a large, edged weapon was used in the slaying, finding “lacerations to the landlord’s right arm, upper chest and across the neck causing decapitation.”
Looking at surveillance footage, investigators saw a man exiting a white jeep on Saturday and walking to the residence with a “long skinny white object in his right hand.”
According to the Hartford Courant, officers later found Thompson in a car at a park. But he didn't speak after he was taken in for questioning, CNN reported. Instead, he wrote a sheet of paper that the “paper in the glove compartment in the Jeep is all you need.” After finding the paper, police said the document suggested that Thompson considered himself as a "sovereign citizen,” meaning he believes he is above the law.
Detectives also found the suspected murder weapon about 10 miles away from the residence in a river.
The 42-year-old, who is being held on $2 million bail, was living in a vacant bedroom in King’s home.
"I can’t imagine him doing anything that would provoke somebody,” Jim Banks, King’s cousin, told the Courant. “That just wasn’t in his personality.”
King worked at an insurance company for 20 years and retired from his IT job two years ago. In his spare time, he loved playing the card game known as bridge.
“He was very good at it. Very good at teaching others to play it. Just a kind and gentle person whose first love was bridge,” Banks said.
Paul Linxwiler, executive editor of the Bridge Bulletin published by the American Contract Bridge League, said King “was known as a top player from New England.”
Linxwiler said King had earned the title of grand life master, which is an honor given to a top player with at least 10,000 master points.
“You have to play a lot and you have to be good, too,” Linxwiler said.
King had more than 15,000 points, according to the Courant.
Banks said he was looking forward to learning the game from his cousin at an upcoming family vacation.
“He was one of the good guys,” Banks said. “One that would never hurt a soul. 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.”
According to CNN, Thompson has been charged with murder, but he refused to speak with a public defender when he appeared in court on Tuesday. His next court appearance will be on August 18.
According to CBS News, more Americans are facing the risk of eviction after Congress failed to approve a new coronavirus relief package last week. More than 12 million households, or about 30% of all renters, were reliant on the federal eviction moratorium before it expired in late July, CBS reported. Evictions are now allowed in 30 states despite the pandemic still impacting people financially.
In Connecticut, the moratorium has been extended through the end of August, reports WTNH. Over in Philadelphia, the eviction moratorium has been extended until March 2021, CBS Philadelphia reported. The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) said the moratorium will help 80,000 low-income residents who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
“The federal eviction moratorium expires this week. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has extended it to the end of August, while the Congress and the Trump Administration debate another extension," PHA President Kelvin Jeremiah said. "I wanted to take bold action in this regard, to maintain housing stability for our residents.”
Even with the moratorium, however, the PHA said nonpayment of rent will not be forgiven during the period and tenants are expected to abide by the terms of their lease agreements.
