Man Guilty Of Decapitating Roommate In Hartford: Authorities

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford man has been convicted of murder after a jury Friday said he decapitated his roommate with a sword, claiming he didn't pay rent.

Sharmese L. Walcott, Hartford State’s Attorney, said a Hartford Superior Court jury found Jerry Thompson, 45, of Hartford, guilty of murder.

The conviction stems from the July 25, 2020 murder of Victor King in a home on Asylum Avenue in Hartford.
Evidence presented at trial showed the victim and the defendant were roommates and the victim had been attempting to have the defendant evicted for failing to pay rent, according to authorities.

In the early morning hours of July 25, 2020, the victim complained on the Hartford Police Department’s "Submit a Tip" line stating Thompson was threatening him with a sword and he intended to make an in-person complaint.

Several hours later, he called 911 again reporting his roommate had been threatening him, according to Walcott.

Later that morning, video surveillance footage showed Thompson parking his Jeep near the home and walking toward the front door with a long object in his hand, according to authorities.

State officials said Thompson returned to his Jeep wearing different clothing approximately 20 minutes later.

Additional surveillance footage and witness testimony showed the defendant returning to the residence at 11:30 p.m. that evening.

The following day, neighbors and friends of the victim became alarmed when he did not perform regularly scheduled chores and did not respond to multiple texts and phone calls, according to Walcott.

They urged Hartford police to enter the home.

During a wellness check conducted by Hartford police with the assistance of the Hartford Fire Department, officers found the victim’s body concealed under blankets in the kitchen, having suffered two serious injuries to his neck that resulted in decapitation, said state officials.

Hartford detectives began searching for the defendant.

During their investigation, detectives went to the Farmington River Park in Bloomfield, where a long Samurai-style sword, consistent with the victim’s wounds, was pulled from the river.

Following his arrest, the defendant directed detectives to papers in his Jeep proclaiming his status as a sovereign citizen.

Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 11 in Hartford Superior Court.

The case was prosecuted by Connecticut Assistant State’s Attorney Emily D. Trudeau.