MEMPHIS, Tenn. (TCD) — A 32-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering and beheading his 63-year-old roommate in his apartment in 2021.
The Shelby County District Attorney's Office announced that a jury found Julian Summers guilty on Friday, February 16, of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in the death of Bruce Jeffries.
On December 12, 2021, at approximately 9:50 p.m., Memphis Police Department officers responded to the area of Pine Street and Eastmoreland Avenue and discovered a suitcase containing Jeffries' body.
Investigators determined that Summers struck his roommate in the head with a hammer while she was sleeping, according to the district attorney's office. After the assault, he used a knife to decapitate Jefferies and then cleaned the area before putting the victim's body in a suitcase.
Surveillance video reportedly shows Summers dragging a heavy suitcase through the Broadmoor Apartments and into a dumpster, “leaving a trail of blood in his wake.”
However, it was reported that Summers was unable to place his suitcase in the first bin and had to move it to another location.
According to WHBQ-TV, police traced the blood trail to the Broadmoor apartment complex. Police found no signs of forced entry into the apartment, but there were reportedly signs of a struggle, including broken glass, broken mirrors, and blood in the bedroom.
It was reported that blood-stained clothes were in the washing machine, ready to be washed.
Authorities arrested Summers, and he confessed to killing his roommate 16 days after the attack.
He and the victim lived together for two years before Jefferies' death, WHBQ reported.
Jurors watched Summers' recorded confession during the trial. But Summers' testimony was inconsistent with her initial statement to police in 2021, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Summers cited his mental health issues when he admitted to the crimes, but the state presented rebuttal witnesses from the West Tennessee Mental Health Institute. He “proved the defendant's competency and argued that Summers was malingering by exaggerating her mental health symptoms.” .”
more:
True Crime Every Day: The Podcast Every week we cover famous and unknown events. Subscribe to our YouTube page And don't forget to follow us Instagram, Facebookand Twitter. You can also subscribe to us True Crime Daily newsletter.