Jerry David Thompson of Connecticut was arrested and charged with murder for allegedly cutting his landlord's head off with a samurai sword. The landlord, Victor King, rented Thompson a room in his home in Hartford, Connecticut.
The altercation between the two men started after the Hartford Police Department responded to a 911 phone call from Mr. King, 64, on Saturday.
According to an arrest warrant, he told police his 42-year-old roommate, Jerry Thompson, was "waving a sword at him in a threatening and terrorizing manner" over a rent dispute.
King gave police his contact information after discussing the incident. It was not
clear if the police ever spoke with Thompson.
Then police received a call from a neighbor and a different friend on Sunday asking for a wellness check on King, as they both were worried about his safety.
Police went into the residence on Sunday afternoon to find Victor King dead with his body severely slashed and covered in bloody bedding.
A medical examiner suggested King's injuries were consistent with a sizeable edged weapon and noted: "lacerations to the landlord's right arm, upper chest and across the neck causing decapitation."
Police questioned Thompson, who refused to answer any questions or speak. He then wrote on a piece of paper that a "paper in the glove compartment in Jeep is all you need," police said.
After obtaining a search warrant, detectives found documents in 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 way.
Jerry Thompson appeared in court on Tuesday and reportedly declined to speak with his public defender. He will be held in jail in lieu of a $2m bond and is expected to appear again in court on August 15, 2020.