The relationship between a landlord and a tenant can sometimes be strained, but rarely does it escalate to the horrifying extremes explored here. While discussions often focus on problematic landlords, this collection of stories shifts the lens to the other side, recounting instances where tenants committed the ultimate act of violence against those who owned their homes.
These aren’t just statistics; they are chilling narratives of betrayal, anger, and desperation that ended in tragedy. The details of each case, from the motives to the methods, paint a grim picture of how disputes and dark impulses can lead to murder. Prepare to delve into 10 unsettling accounts of tenants who turned on their landlords, leaving behind a trail of sorrow and unanswered questions.
10 Alex Garces
Alex Garces, a 23-year-old from Queens, New York City, was sentenced to just three years in prison for killing his 71-year-old landlord, Edgar Moncayo. The judge, Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder, noted Garces’s profound remorse, stating it was rare to witness a defendant show such regret and apologize to the victim’s family.
However, Moncayo’s family was devastated by the short sentence. His daughter, Lourdes, expressed that Garces had “broken my family down forever.”
Initially, Garces claimed Moncayo accidentally fell down the stairs after Garces bumped into him while moving a mattress. But a doorbell camera revealed a different, more violent truth: Garces was seen arguing with Moncayo before forcefully shoving him down the steps. The fall resulted in a traumatic brain injury that proved fatal.
Moncayo had previously shown kindness to Garces, even reducing his rent from $400 to $200 when Garces faced financial difficulties. The situation soured after Garces broke house rules, including having his girlfriend over and leaving a baby unattended. After agreeing to move out, Garces and his brother returned with a drill to re-enter the property for his belongings, leading to the fatal confrontation.
9 Frank Walton
Frank Walton, 42, evidently harbored lethal intent towards his 67-year-old landlord, Howard Benzel. Two days after Benzel was reported missing, passersby discovered his remains near Lake McMurray in Skagit County, Washington. The medical examiner, Dr. J. Matthew Lacy, determined Benzel died from blunt force trauma, having been struck at least twenty-five times, likely with a hammer. There was also evidence of possible strangulation and bleeding on Benzel’s brain.
The conflict arose after Benzel found out Walton was living in the commercial unit he rented for selling used goods. Benzel had decided not to renew Walton’s lease.
Walton was found guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. He received a prison sentence of eighteen-and-a-third years. Howard Benzel’s memorial service was attended by over 300 people, a testament to the community’s loss.
8 Ashwani Shamlodhiya
When Sichang “Michael” Li, a landlord in West Chicago, Illinois, discovered his tenant Ashwani Shamlodhiya was having an affair with his wife, Wen “Susan” Li, tensions flared. Tragically, it was Shamlodhiya who resorted to murder.
Shamlodhiya, an Indian native working at Lucent Technologies, had rented a room from the Lis for about six months. A confrontation about the affair escalated into a physical fight, during which Shamlodhiya killed his landlord. He then set the townhouse on fire to conceal his crime.
Shamlodhiya’s legal journey was complex. His first trial resulted in an arson conviction but not murder. He claimed a stranger attacked both men. In his second trial, he changed his story, asserting self-defense after Li allegedly attacked him with a knife and hammer, and that he’d lied to “avoid being dishonored.”
Prosecutors argued the murder was driven by jealousy. Shamlodhiya was eventually sentenced to 26 years. His murder conviction was briefly overturned on appeal due to an issue with jury instructions regarding involuntary manslaughter, but the Appellate Court of Illinois ultimately affirmed his convictions for both first-degree murder and residential arson.
7 Daniel Walsh
Daniel Walsh’s murder of his 71-year-old landlord, Graham Snell, took a particularly gruesome turn. After killing Snell, Walsh dismembered the body, feeding some parts to badgers in a nearby woodland sett. He scattered other remains in the woods and disposed of some in a communal bin. A neighbor reported Snell missing after not seeing him for over a week. Walsh initially told authorities he found Snell “dead in his bathroom.”
The truth eventually surfaced. Walsh, who had a prior conviction for stealing £5,000 from Snell ten years earlier, admitted he panicked after the killing and dismembered the body.
The police faced criticism for mishandling Snell’s earlier complaints about Walsh stealing from his bank account and staying in his home uninvited. They also failed to conduct intelligence checks before visiting Snell’s home, actions that might have saved his life. This led to disciplinary actions within the police force and implemented “learning recommendations.”
Walsh was found guilty of murder and sentenced to serve a minimum of 27 years in prison.
6 Monique Lee and Gary Lee
Monique Lee, 28, did not act alone in the murder of her 48-year-old landlord, Karen Jenkins. Her younger brother, Gary Lee, 19, assisted by holding Jenkins’s legs while Monique strangled her. Gary had also lured Jenkins to the apartment by pretending to be a potential renter. The motive appeared to be Monique’s anger over Jenkins serving her eviction papers two days earlier.
After her first trial ended in a mistrial, Monique was retried and convicted of first-degree murder and using a weapon to commit a felony. She received a life sentence in late 2012 but died in January 2013 from an undisclosed illness shortly after beginning her sentence.
Gary Lee pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for testifying against his sister. However, he was also charged with perjury for providing contradictory statements under oath. He was sentenced to 65 to 100 years in prison, with parole eligibility in 2043. As he was led from the courtroom, he defiantly shouted, “I’m God’s child! God will save me!”
5 John Hamann
John “Jack” Hamann, a tenant in Middleton, Wisconsin, received a sentence of life in prison without parole for the brutal murder of his 81-year-old landlord, Agnes Bram. Judge Hyland denied parole due to the sheer brutality of the crime.
Hamann used a hammer or a similar weapon, striking Bram in the head more than six times. He left her bloodied body on the garage floor for her horrified family to find.
Bram’s granddaughter, Kelly Etter, and daughter, Rose Kelso, expressed their shock at the viciousness of the murder. Kelso confronted Hamann in court, stating, “You threatened your past landlord in January before you moved into my mom’s house, with a hunting knife. Your own mother didn’t want you living with her over fear you would hit her over the head. You have no right to be released.”
Officials noted Hamann struggled with alcoholism and mental health issues. Before the murder, he had posted a disturbing rant against women on social media.
4 Joshua Young
Louisville, Kentucky tenant Joshua Young was initially charged with first-degree murder for killing his landlord, Shane McCain. However, a jury found him guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree manslaughter. He was also convicted of first-degree wanton endangerment and tampering with physical evidence. The fatal incident occurred after an argument about rent.
Young claimed he acted in self-defense to protect his family. He stated that McCain had broken into his home and threatened him with a gun. Young shot McCain three times, killing him, before fleeing the scene.
For his crimes, Joshua Young was sentenced to six years in prison.
3 Joshua Alfano
Joshua Alfano, 23, dreamed of becoming a model. Instead, he will spend his life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was convicted of kidnapping, robbing, and strangling his 67-year-old landlord, Norman Mangus, in Torrance, California. Judge Mark Arnold, unmoved by Alfano’s plea for leniency, described him as “a sociopath with no conscience.”
Despite Alfano’s apology, Judge Arnold remarked, “I think you’re sorry that you got caught, not for what you did.” He noted Alfano’s criminal history, including two prior burglaries of Mangus. Alfano’s alleged remorse didn’t prevent him from strangling his landlord during a third robbery attempt, aided by his 21-year-old friend, Morgan Tyler Delange.
Court details revealed Delange called Mangus to arrange a meeting, supposedly for Alfano to return stolen property. This was a ruse to steal Mangus’s TV and car.
During the trial, Alfano and Delange blamed each other but both admitted to helping carry the body and stealing the car. The killing was described as horrifically savage: “One or the other defendant stomped on Mangus’ chest, punched and kicked him, strangled him with a belt, and stuffed a ski mask in his mouth. He died of asphyxia. Both men carried his body to the side of the house, where it remained for four days until police discovered it.”
Deputy District Attorney Erika Jerez referred to Alfano and Delange as “Team Greed.”
2 Daniel Briceno Garcia
Daniel Briceno Garcia, 46, brutally stabbed to death two of his landlords, Sonia Butron Calvi, 66, and Edgar Aguilera Daza, 60. Garcia had reportedly become “paranoid about Covid.” The couple shared their South London home with five other tenants, subletting rooms.
One of the other tenants heard shouting and, upon opening her bedroom door, witnessed Daza being repeatedly stabbed in the stomach while Garcia held him by the neck. Garcia then attacked Calvi.
When authorities arrived, they discovered a “bloodbath” at the rental house. Daza was found in a pool of blood in the hallway, and Calvi was lying face down in the kitchen, a knife clutched in her hand.
Although Garcia claimed he was mentally ill and heard voices, a jury found him guilty of two counts of murder, rejecting a manslaughter plea. Garcia was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 33 years.
1 Karl Bestford
Karl Bestford, 35, a slaughterhouse worker, ironically attempted to decapitate his landlord, Simon Meech, 46. While he failed to fully decapitate him, he did stab and mutilate Meech, ultimately murdering him. For this gruesome crime, Bestford received a life sentence.
Bestford invited Meech to his apartment in Rayleigh Grove, Bensham, Gateshead, England. Once there, Bestford attacked Meech with a knife, stabbing him repeatedly. Despite pleading not guilty, the jury found him culpable.
Northumbria police described Bestford as a dangerous and violent offender. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Young, the lead investigator, stated, “This was a savage attack on a respectable member of the community who was simply going about his business.”
These ten cases serve as grim reminders of the dark potential within human relationships and the devastating consequences when disputes or inner demons lead to violence. Each story is a tragedy, not only for the victims and their families but also as a reflection of the complex, and sometimes deadly, interactions that can occur between tenants and landlords.
What are your thoughts on these chilling cases? Leave your comment below.
