TYLER, Texas — A man arrested in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found early Wednesday in a Tyler, Texas, apartment is accused of using a machete to kill her, according to an arrest affidavit.
David Michael Thompson, 49, was arrested the following day and charged with first-degree murder. His bond has been set at $750,000, KLTV reported.
According to officials with the Tyler Police Department, officers found the body of 40-year-old Jaci Wilkerson inside an apartment at The Lodge just after 3:30 a.m., KYTX reported.
Police also confirmed to the TV station that Wilkerson previously sought a protection order against Thompson, which he violated.
According to KLTV, Thompson’s roommate, who has not been identified publicly and believed he was alone in the apartment, discovered Wilkerson’s body after getting up to use the bathroom at around 3 a.m.
The roommate told police that before he used the bathroom he saw a perplexing message on his phone from Thompson apologizing for a ruckus he never heard.
“Sorry you had to be there for that,” Thompson reportedly texted the roommate, to which the roommate replied, “?,” according to the affidavit. A few moments later he found Wilkerson’s body, KYTX reported.
The affidavit also stated that the roommate told police that Thompson’s relationship with Wilkerson was “violent,” that Thompson is bipolar and that he was not surprised the slaying occurred, the TV station reported.
Meanwhile, an upstairs neighbor of Thompson’s told police that she awoke suddenly when she heard a woman yell, “Oh my God! Please stop!” followed by a loud thud, KLTV reported.
Responding officers found a bloody machete on a bed in Thompson’s room, the affidavit stated.