BALTIMORE (AP) — A Baltimore man has been charged with murder after he allegedly confessed to stabbing his boyfriend to death and dumping the body in Leakin Park, police said.
Eric Jones Jr., 30, was taken into custody after Baltimore Police say he admitted to stabbing 33-year-old Dashond Johnson multiple times inside their Southwest Baltimore home on Jan. 2 and later disposing of his body in a wooded area of Leakin Park.
Officers responded Jan. 19 to a missing persons report at the residence on South Bernice Street, where Johnson had lived with Jones, authorities said. Johnson’s sister told detectives she had not heard from her brother in more than two weeks and was worried about his safety, according to charging documents.
A roommate who had been out of town said he had not seen Johnson since returning home. When police reached Jones by video call, he claimed he and Johnson had a “serious argument” the night of Jan. 2 and that Johnson “stormed out” of the house.
Investigators were alerted to the case after a neighbor reported hearing a man scream “Oh my God” outside the home on the night of the apparent altercation. The witness told police she saw a man stumble from the house, clutching his chest before collapsing between parked vehicles. Another man then appeared to load the unresponsive person into a folding cart and wheel him down the street toward an alley, according to the report.
Detectives obtained a search warrant and found what they believe were blood stains and cleaned blood patterns in multiple areas inside the residence. Jones was interviewed by homicide detectives and voluntarily waived his Miranda rights, police said.
Jones confessed to stabbing Johnson, placing his body in a wagon covered with a suitcase and driving to Leakin Park, where he covered the remains with stones, according to the charging documents. Using Google Earth, Jones guided detectives to the location where police later recovered Johnson’s body, officials said.
Jones faces charges including first-degree murder and various assault counts. Court records did not immediately indicate whether he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Leakin Park, a large Baltimore green space, has been the site of several high-profile recovered remains in past decades.
Authorities are continuing their investigation.
