Henry James Baxter, 37, was charged with criminal homicide in the death of his adoptive father, 48-year-old Erman Thompson. Thompson’s decapitated body was discovered by a mail carrier on his lunch break on Thursday afternoon, July 12. 
The head was found in the garbage can in the alley behind a home early Friday morning. Both men lived at the address with Thompson’s wife and her three children.

According to WKRN-TV, Baxter allegedly confessed to killing Thompson during a fight over Thompson’s wife at on Sunday, July 8. A police affidavit stated that the fight escalated, and Baxter said he took Thompson’s gun and shot him in the head.

Thompson’s wife is also Baxter’s adoptive mother. An adoptive mother who had, according to Baxter, fathered one of his children.

Baxter told police that he placed Thompson’s body in a garbage can in the backyard. The following day, the affidavit states Baxter took the body out of the garbage can and cut off Thompson’s head with a shovel before placing the body and head back into the garbage can.

Try as I might, it’s extremely difficult to parse out what the most bizarre aspect of this story is, but I’m trying.

[WKRN-TV]

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Jeff Cormier

Dad, husband, dog lover, law, write at DigitalDeconstruction.com and other online destinations, forever immature. It's the me that I let you know.

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