UPDATE: Westerly murder suspect held without bail

January 29, 2018 6:41 am

The Bowling Lane home where stabbing took place

By: News Staff

Email: news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

WESTERLY, R.I. (WLNE) — A Westerly man is being held without bail after being charged in a weekend murder.

Police say Nelson Dearce, 50, went to his Bowling Lane home around 11 p.m. Saturday and repeatedly stabbed Jeremy Lehmann, 50, of Niantic, Connecticut. Lehmann was pronounced dead at Westerly Hospital.

Authorities found Dearce outside, holding a pocket knife, wearing bloodied clothes. "The defendant then said to police, and I quote: ‘He was disrespecting me in my own house," Lt. Robert Warner testified in court, "’I’m a Christian and I hope he’s okay, but I got a knife and I kept stabbing him. I wanted to kill him.’"

Police would not elaborate on what was happening inside the home when he arrived or how Dearce and Lehmann knew each other. Dearce lives with his ex-girlfriend and their four children, according to police. While the violence was going on inside the house, the kids were sleeping.

"We don’t believe that anyone else was involved in this," said Police Chief Richard Silva.

Dearce’s family members told ABC6 News Monday that Dearce is a good, church-going man. Neighbors are just as shocked.

"He was nice," Susan Sawtele, who lives across the street, told ABC6 News. Dearce made a semi-confession to her that night while he was in handcuffs. "He says, ‘Things happen, Mami,’" Sawtele said. "It didn’t dawn on me until I [saw] that knife and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’"

Dearce is being held without bail at the ACI. He is due back in court for a bail hearing February 7.