A Portland man allegedly strangled his “good friend” and stabbed him with a broken bottle late last year.
Those details were revealed Thursday in a newly unsealed affidavit about the killing of 61-year-old Clarence James Pearson of Westbrook, according to the Portland Press Herald.
His alleged assailant, 36-year-old Deng Malual, pleaded not guilty Wednesday afternoon during a brief hearing at Cumberland County Superior Court in Portland.
Pearson reportedly owed money to Malual and another man, both of whom had argued over who would get paid first days before the slaying, the Press Herald reported.
It’s not clear when Pearson was killed, but a neighbor told police he heard an argument coming from Pearson’s Mechanic Street apartment on the morning of Nov. 26. That wasn’t unusual, so the neighbor didn’t pay it much mind, according to the Press Herald.
Pearson was found dead inside his apartment about 1:38 a.m. on Nov. 28. A subsequent autopsy ruled his death a homicide.
Malual allegedly had strangled Pearson and stabbed him in the buttocks with a broken bottle. Pearson also had cuts on his face and the back of his head, as well as a fractured leg arm, according to the newspaper.
During a search of the apartment, police found blood, footprints, green glass strewn across the floor and a broken bottle neck on a bed, the Press Herald reported.
When police collected physical evidence from Malual, he told officers he hoped they found whoever killed his “good friend,” according to the newspaper.
Malual was arrested without incident in Portland about 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 in connection with Pearson’s death.
Malual has a lengthy criminal history going back a decade, including offenses for assault, criminal mischief, criminal threatening, disorderly conduct and more, the Press Herald reported.
Malual is currently being held without bail.