Man found in bloody clothes confesses to wife's grisly killing, police say
FORT LAUDERDALE – A Fort Lauderdale man is accused of killing his wife and leaving her body to rot for weeks in their home full of trash, CBS Miami reports.
Officers said 65-year-old Jeffrey Thacker lived in the home with his wife's body on the floor.
Investigators also found a dog that starved to death locked inside a bedroom.
When police did a welfare check a week ago at the home off North Federal Highway and NE 14th Court, they said Thacker had blood on his clothes and told them, "I killed her. I stabbed her with a pair of scissors."
Detectives said he told them it all happened before Valentine's Day.
Police said they found the victim, Jaden Kincade, in an advanced state of decomposition on a bedroom floor.
"In years past, he seemed normal as far as he introduced himself to me, was neighborly as far as that was concerned," said Patty, a neighbor.
But she says Thacker's personality changed.
"He had a stroke, some sort of incident that happened over a year ago, became more of a recluse," said Patty.
Neighbor John Allen echoed Patty's statement that Thacker was seen less and less.
"He wandered at night," said neighbor John Allen. "You didn't see him during the day much."
Neighbors said his wife kept to herself and was often seen walking a dog.
"It was a Great Dane," said Patty. "They would walk it around the neighborhood and around the church property – only her."
Police found the dog dead under a bed in the home. They say it had been locked in the bedroom without food or water.
Thacker told police he had been stabbed by the victim.
He was transported to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment.
He was recovering at the hospital and has yet to make a first appearance in court.