A Texas man is behind bars for allegedly killing his girlfriend with a samurai sword and almost decapitating her, police allege.
Houston Chronicle reports that authorities responded to a call on Weds. to a home off of the 10200 block of Tangiers in Houston at around 5:30 p.m., in regards to a “cutting in progress.” When officers arrived, they found the deceased body of Aracely Jernigan, 36, in the living room floor. Her boyfriend, 45-year-old Kenneth Wayne Lockings Jr. is accused of killing her with a samurai sword he received on Thanksgiving.
The suspect’s grandmother told police the victim recently returned to Houston after living with family in Mexico for a few months. The grandmother she had no idea what the motive behind the attack could have been.
A neighbor, Marie Carrier, said that the suspect’s alleged mental issues were “well-known.”
“He’s really messed up in the head.”
Family members found Lockings Jr. at the scene prior to police arriving and convinced him to turn himself in, according to FOX News. He’s charged with murder and a federal parole revocation, stemming from a previous incident. The suspect has numerous drug-related arrests on his record, and in 2009, he was accused of assaulting a family member. The assault charge was ultimately thrown out when Lockings Jr. was sent to prison for felony cocaine possession.
ABC reports that authorities found the samurai lying next to the victim, and according to the crime scene and blood spatter patterns found, investigators felt that the suspect held the weapon with both hands and exerted so much force that he nearly cut Jernigan’s head off. Investigators also said they saw a bag of women’s clothing by the front door of the home, and guessed that the victim may have been in the process of leaving when the murder occurred.
Lockings Jr. is being held without bond at the Harris County jail. He’s scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
The story is still developing. Check back with CrimeOnline as further details become available.
[Feature Photo: Kenneth Wayne Lockings Jr./Houston Police Department]
