A New Mexico landlord is charged with murder after police discovered he allegedly killed and buried his tenant, who disappeared three months ago.
In late October, investigators found Robert Debeary’s body buried below a porch two feet underground outside of an Albuquerque apartment he had been renting from his landlord, Jonah Jeter, according to investigators, per KQRE. He was found buried with a mattress and bed frame.
Debeary, 52, who had survived multiple strokes and was disabled, was last seen on August 12, when security camera footage showed him leaving his apartment, according to court documents viewed by the TV station. His family members told investigators Debeary experienced issues with Jeter ahead of his disappearance.
An investigation revealed Jeter, 33, allegedly shot Debeary in the head on August 12, then concealed his body, per ABQ RAW.
He’s charged with murder, three counts of tampering with evidence and aggravated burglary in connection with his death, court records show.
Before Debeary was found dead, Debeary’s family members confronted Jeter at Debeary’s apartment, where they noticed his personal belongings were missing and saw a stain on the floor that appeared to be blood, according to a criminal complaint viewed by ABQ RAW. Jeter allegedly told his family members Debeary hadn’t paid rent and was evicted.
While speaking with NBC affiliate KOB-TV, his son, Micah, recalled entering his father’s apartment amid his disappearance.
“My father is disabled. He had two strokes, and so he also had work done on his head. So he’s had brain surgery and stuff like that. So he is paralyzed on the whole left side of his body.” Micah told the TV station. “He’s been missing for so long. I already suspect that he’s dead, and so I take it upon myself to break the window, and I go into the apartment.”
Inside the apartment, Micah said he noticed his father’s phones, wallet and his bed, which was later found buried and had what Micah described as a large stain that was “very dark and muddy.”
Micah told the TV station that Jeter wasn’t “empathetic.”
“The only thing he’s worried about is this window. He’s not worried about the tenant,” Micah said. “And then he’s trying to tell us the story that, “Oh, my father been evicted. That he’s months late on his rent.”
On September 1, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office “urgently” called on the public to help find Debeary in a Facebook post, in which the agency shared a missing persons flyer describing Debeary as endangered.
According to court documents viewed by KRQE, Debeary’s body was found wrapped in a blanket when he was discovered buried along with his mattress.
Jeter told police he didn’t bury Debeary or his mattress, after previously claiming Debeary didn’t have a bed when police found no bed during a search of his apartment, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the news outlet.
Information on Jeter’s legal representation wasn’t immediately available.
