NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV-AP) -
The case of a suspect accused of killing a man and then decapitating him is headed to a grand jury, a judge ruled at a Thursday hearing.
Henry James Baxter, 37, is charged with homicide in the shooting death of 48-year-old Erman Thompson.
Police have quoted Baxter as saying he shot Thompson in the head and used a shovel to decapitate him. The head was found in a trash can last Friday, a day after the body was found in a field.
Detectives said Baxter had been living at Thompson's home along with Thompson's wife and her three children. A motive has not been released.
Metro Police Detective Johnny Crumby testified Thursday about how Baxter changed his story to investigators about what happened once he heard Thompson's wife, Ashly, was going to take the blame for her husband's death.
"He stated they walked into the bedroom. He forced him down on the mattress and shot him in the back of the head," Crumby said.
Police said the Thompsons' three children were outside at the time, and Ashly was at church.
"He stated he put the body in a roll cart trash can," Crumby said. He stated he put it in the alley and said he waited until Monday when it was dark, the following day. He pulled the body out of the rolling cart trash can and decapitated Mr. Thompson's head from the body in the backyard."
Crumby said Baxter admitted to the murder, because he said he was angry at Thompson.
"He stated that Mr. Thompson was threatening Mrs. Thompson and stated that he made her do things she didn't want to do," Crumby said.
Copyright WSMV 2012 (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
