Cops in Indiana made a grisly discovery when they discovered the decapitated body of a victim in his own home — and later recovered the head at another location.
It all started around 10 a.m. on Friday when the victim’s ex-wife, 73-year-old Erich V. Winnecke Sr., called police and asked for a welfare check at his home in the 1700 block of Summerlin Place in Jeffersonville, Indiana, which borders Kentucky. She was concerned about his safety because he and their 33-year-old son, Bryce William Winnecke, were having problems, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime.
According to local NBC affiliate WAVE, “This is going to sound graphic, but his head was cut off,” a 911 caller stated. “And we don’t know where his head is.”
Cops went inside and made a shocking discovery.
“It was a very apparent homicide,” Jeffersonville police Detective Sam Moss told reporters.
The victim was discovered in his bedroom with “significant evidence of defensive wounds” and multiple stab wounds to the chest, according to the complaint. Police reported that blood spatter covered the walls of the bedroom. Investigators also discovered a large knife with a one-foot-long blade and a deformity caused by contact with “hard substances.”
As investigators surveyed the scene, Bryce Winnecke called his mother, who was at the victim’s house.
“I killed him,” he allegedly said to his mother. “I went over to dad’s because he is the evilest person that ever lived, I cut his head off.”
Officers discovered he was at his mother’s house in the 3000 block of Callaway Drive, about a mile away. He allegedly carried a plastic bag “approximately the size of a human head.” According to the complaint, he was also holding a knife and fled inside when cops approached, refusing to come out.
The SWAT team arrived on the scene, and after throwing flash-bang devices into the house, cops were able to coax Winnecke out after about four hours.
Following the standoff, officers went inside and discovered the victim’s head in his son’s bedroom, according to the affidavit.
“Let’s please keep in mind, we have a family that was affected by the result of this,” Chief Kenny Kavanaugh said, adding that the scene was “horrific.”
Bryce Winnecke is accused of murder and abuse of a corpse. He remains in the Clark County Jail.
The neighbors on Summerlin Place, where the original crime occurred, were taken aback by the police activity.
“It’s shocking because this is a safe neighborhood,” Randi Snider told the local CBS affiliate, WLKY. “When families have problems, it can happen anywhere. Just anywhere. So, it’s sad.”
