A Connecticut man allegedly used a samurai sword to decapitate his landlord, who is a nationally known contract bridge - a tricky card game - player.
The man, identified as Jerry David Thompson, 42, rented a vacant bedroom in the Asylum Avenue home of Victor King, a 64-year-old Travelers insurance company retiree who played professional contract bridge, the Hartford Courant reported.
Thompson, has however, refused to cooperate with investigators about the crime. According to a report, Thompson claimed he is a sovereign citizen.
Hartford Courant reported the arrest warrant which stated a rent dispute between Thompson and King, after which the former threatened his landlord.
The report adds King had reported to police about Thompson's threat before he was decapitated on Sunday.
Police and firefighters had to force their way into the house after King's friends alerted the authorities as the bridge player could not be reached.
According to the report, Thompson was tracked down by the police and taken in custody but refused to cooperate with the investigators. Instead, he scribbled on a piece of paper, "paper in glove compart in Jeep is all you need.”
The police, however, found paperwork in the suspect's car that suggested he considered himself a sovereign citizen. A sovereign citizen is someone who believes he is above all laws.
Thompson on Tuesday was arraigned in Superior court where he refused also refused to cooperate. He was ordered held with a $2 million bail.
The 42-year-old has been previously convicted for assault and robbery.
King, meanwhile, worked in the IT department at Travelers for more than 20 years. He retired in 2018 to focus on playing contract bridge,
King worked in IT at Travelers for more than 20 years, retiring in 2018 to focus on playing bridge, reported Courant.
