Homeless deaf men charged with two murders in Kentucky

From WAVE-TV in Kentucky:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Louisville Metro Police say two homeless and deaf men are behind bars after confessing to two recent murders. Police arrested one of the men at the Salvation Army Center of Hope. The other man turned himself in to police Tuesday.

"Police came in and they did arrest a suspect and they were staying in our shelter," said Major Keath Biggers with the Salvation Army.

Police found 29-year-old Michael Knights at the Salvation Army. His friend, 26-year-old Jeston Murray turned himself in Tuesday.

According to LMPD, their first victim was 72-year-old Darrell Spencer. Spencer's friends tell WAVE 3 that he was a deacon at his church and was known as a person who was always helping people especially the homeless.

Police say the day after Christmas, Knights and Murray planned to rob the Army Surplus Store on West Main Street and kill Spencer.

"Mr. Spencer was killed by blunt force trauma and we do know the individual did take him to the back of the store where the incident occurred and from what we gathered, the weapon that was used was discarded which we have not been able to locate at this point," said Lt. Barry Wilkerson, commander of the LMPD Homicide Unit, as he described how it happened.

Police say that weapon was a small hatchet they stole from the store. A few days later, the two allegedly went to the Manslick Road apartment of 34-year-old Marcus Penny, a man who they knew.

"Mr. Penny was in his apartment and that's why a burglary charge was added to the homicide," Wilkerson said. "The door was forced open, the individuals entered, the altercation took place and Mr. Penny was stabbed at that point and the weapon used in that incident was also taken from that Main Street store."

Biggers says although the two had stayed at the Salvation Army on different occasions, officials there were not that familiar with the two men.

"Unfortunately, sometimes you have a situation like this that arises and it takes away from the good work and the thousands of individuals that come in and benefit from our services that are now on their own two feet," said Biggers.

Detectives say in the second murder of Marcus Penny, the men were allegedly fighting over a woman.

Metro Police are checking with authorities in Indiana to see if the two men might be involved in any unsolved cases across the river.

Knights and Murray are charged with murder, robbery and burglary and will be arraigned on those charges Thursday.