Benjamin Satterthwaite was arrested by Denver police after they responded to a medical call at an apartment on South Federal Boulevard and found “evidence and a crime scene consistent with the homicide case,” CBS4 Denver News reported.
A 28-year-old Denver man has been charged with first-degree murder in the grisly killing and dismembering of a man whose remains were found in two suitcases, the District Attorney’s office said.
On Dec. 29, purple suitcases were found on the side of the street by city workers on the 1700 block of South Java Way in the Mar Lee neighborhood, according to the Denver police arrest affidavit obtained by KMGH-TV. Allegedly attached to one of the suitcases were United Airlines baggage claim stickers with the name “Satterthwaite” and “Den,” according to the affidavit. Inside the suitcases were the dismembered remains of Joshua Lockard, 33, authorities said.
On New Year's Day, police responded to Benjamin Satterthwaite's apartment, where they found a woman who died of an apparent drug overdose lying next to Satterthwaite, who was unconscious, also from an apparent drug overdose, according to the affidavit, 9News reported.
Satterthwaite was taken to a local hospital, where investigators took his fingerprints. Authorities also obtained a search warrant for his home, where they allegedly discovered a suitcase that matched one found at the scene. They also used luminol to allegedly find a significant amount of blood throughout the home 9News reported.
A bloody saw blade Satterthwaite was allegedly spotted on surveillance footage purchasing from a Walmart on Dec. 27 was also recovered, according to 9News.
Lockard had reportedly last seen on Dec. 26. His cause and manner of death are pending investigation, the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner said.
Satterthwaite was arrested on Jan. 8 and was charged this week in Lockard's killing. He has also been charged with tampering with a deceased human body. He was advised of the charges in a Tuesday morning court hearing, KMGH said.
Police have stated they believe the victim and suspect knew each other and Lockard had stayed at Satterthwaite’s South Federal apartment at some point, CBS4 News reported. A motive in the killing is not clear.
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