Bryce Winnecke, Jefferson, Indiana man arrested in the beheading of his father, Erich Winnecke after ongoing delusions & confrontations.
An Indiana man is alleged to have severed his father’s head and carried it around in a plastic bag outside the family home.
Bryce Winnecke, 33, was arrested in the slaying of his 73-year-old father, Erich Winnecke following an ongoing feud between father and son and what the suspect’s mother decried as ‘delusional’ behavior from her son.
The son following a lengthy stand off with cops was taken into custody and charged with murder and abuse of a corpse.
Suspect’s mother observes son ‘excitedly’ leaving family home with kitchen knife
Ann Winnecke, Bryce’s mother and Erich’s ex-wife, reported her son’s irrational behavior to authorities on Friday, August 15, after observing Bryce excitedly leaving their Jeffersonville home early in the morning with a knife from the kitchen and driving off, according to a probable cause affidavit cited by the Courier Journal.
She called the police around 10 a.m. and told officers she was worried her son might’ve harmed his father. Meanwhile, Ann, to no avail had tried to reach Erich only to get no answer.
According to the arrest affidavit, Bryce had been expressing frustration with his father, noting a deep friction in text messages and statements.
Ann said her son and ex-husband were frequently engaging in ‘heated debates,’ but the exact nature of the ‘source of contention’ wasn’t specified in the affidavit.
During questioning, Ann disclosed her son having sent a text telling his father that he ‘Un-Forgives him’ and that he ‘didn’t want to see of speak to him again.’
By the time police arrived at Erich’s home around 10:16 a.m., they spotted a man near the residence carrying a plastic bag with some sort of object that was ‘approximately the size of a human head,’ according to the affidavit.
Father and son ongoing confrontations
Police returned with a search warrant an hour and a half later and rushed inside. They followed a distinct trail of blood all the way up to the master bedroom where they found Erich’s headless body and an abandoned knife, according to the affidavit.
Court papers described a ‘substantial physical confrontation,’ having occurred at the victim’s residence.
Authorities rushed to Ann’s home, where a tense four-hour standoff with Bryce ensued before the son was eventually arrested.
Soon after cops recovered a decapitated head said to be that of the father stashed in a secret room.
Reviewed video footage captured on doorbell camera showed the son carrying a large knife and appearing to be talking on the phone with someone along with holding the laden plastic bag, WAVE3 reported.
Police said doorbell video also captured Winnecke walking up to the Summerlin Drive house ‘carrying an elongated object’ on Aug. 13 at 11:53 p.m two days prior to the slaying. Video reportedly shows him leaving on Aug. 14 at 12:47 a.m.
At some point the son had texted his mother saying, ‘I killed him. I went over to dad’s because he is the evilest person that ever lived. I cut his head off.’
Court documents also stated Erich having a ‘number’ of other stab wounds, along with blood on the walls and ceiling, WLKY reported.
Police had yet to determine how long the father had been dead when the son beheaded the man.
Bryce is currently being held in the Clark County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of life in prison, according to court records.
