A Bucks County man stabbed his cousin to death during an argument, police say
David Jenner, 38, had been living with his cousin for about six months before the fatal argument, according to a close friend.
Charlie Thomas Jr. had just wanted to give his cousin David Jenner some stability in his life as he battled a drug addiction, a close friend said Monday. He offered Jenner a place to stay and helped him look for a job.
But after an argument Saturday night, Jenner stabbed Thomas to death with a kitchen knife in their Bristol Township home, according to prosecutors in Bucks County.
Jenner, 38, has been charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and related offenses. He remained in custody, denied bail, and there was no indication Monday he had hired an attorney.
Jenner and Thomas, 43, shared a home on Veterans Highway, according to Warren Longstreet, a longtime friend of Thomas’ who also lived in the home. Jenner had moved in about six months ago, he told The Inquirer in an interview Monday. .
Longstreet said he didn’t know what sparked the argument that led to the fatal stabbing. But its fallout had left him numb.
Thomas “was like the son I never had, and just the sweetest guy in the world,” said Longstreet, 69. “It’s like a nightmare. For someone to be this kind, and for someone to do something like that.”
Officers from Bristol Township arrived at Thomas’ home just after 11 p.m. Saturday and found Jenner pacing outside with blood on his hands, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. Jenner admitted stabbing Thomas, and told the officers that he “was probably going to die,” the affidavit said.
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Jenner directed the officers to an 8-inch kitchen knife nearby, and told them it was “evidence,” according to the affidavit.
Inside the home, the officers found Thomas, 43, with at least four stab wounds to his chest. He was taken to Lower Bucks Hospital and later pronounced dead, the affidavit said.
Thomas’ mother was also wounded by Jenner during the fight as she tried to separate the two men. She was treated at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital for stab wounds to her arms, and was later released, according to the affidavit.