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David Joseph Jenner was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, and related crimes, said Bucks District Attorney Matthew Weintraub's Office in a release.
According to evidence presented in court, 43-year-old Charlie R. Thomas Jr. and his mother allowed Jenner to stay with them months before the attack because he was a "distant relative" who "had nowhere else to go."
“What happened after four to five months of this decision? Charlie Thomas is dead,” said Deputy District Attorney Marc J. Furber during closing arguments Tuesday.
On Dec. 19, 2021, township police were called to the Thomas' Veterans Highway home for a reported disturbance. They arrived to find Jenner standing on the porch near a large, bloody kitchen knife, the DA said.
Inside, Thomas was found "bleeding heavily" on the floor with family members trying to staunch the bleeding from a "gaping wound on the left side of his chest," authorities said.
He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital soon after, prosecutors said.
“It has been said that no parent should have to bury a child,” Furber said. “In this case, the mother of the victim had to watch her son die as she used her body as a shield to fend off the defendant’s repeated attacks.”
She was stabbed in the left arm trying to fend off Jenner, the DA's office said.
“While we can’t change what happened to the victim, we are grateful that the victim’s mother was able to see her son’s killer brought to justice in a court of law," Furber told the judge. "We look forward to the defendant’s formal sentencing when the public can be assured that the defendant will never again pose a threat to our community."
Court records show Jenner is due to be sentenced on Sept. 27.
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