BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A landlord confessed to killing two of his tenants, Battle Creek Police said in a Thursday evening update.
The couple, Joseph Soule, 34, and Jaclyn Lepird, 31, had been missing since Wednesday, Oct. 7. Battle Creek Police said they were living with a landlord, Chad Reed, 53, with whom they had an "ongoing dispute."
The three people lived at 203 Post Avenue. Detective Sgt. Joel Case said it was relatively well-known that Reed and the couple didn't get along.
"They liked to party, keep him up late at night, and he liked to tell people that he had another bad night's sleep because of all the noise that was going on," said Case.
On Thursday, investigators received a tip that Reed had confessed to someone that he had murdered Soule and Lepird and hid their bodies. Shortly after police learned of the alleged confession, Reed turned himself in and confessed to detectives.
Case explained the statement Reed gave police, in which he said there was a verbal fight between him and Soule on Oct. 7. Reed claimed Soule pulled a knife on him, and "in self-defense" he drew a gun and shot and killed the 34-year-old man.
Lepird tried running from the house, but Reed shot her as well, Case said.
"He also did say he followed her in the backyard and proceeded to beat and strangle her until she ended up passing away in the backyard," Case said. "He did also tell us that he ended up wrapping them in plastic and put them in the back of his pickup truck."
Case said it sounded like their bodies were left there for a couple of days, even as friends and family members came over to look for them. Reed ended up moving his truck to an abandoned garage on Post Avenue.
"Parked the truck with the bodies inside of it and closed it off," Case said.
Reed is custody and lodged at the Calhoun County Jail on two counts of open murder. Case speculated that it was possible Reed turned himself in out guilt and "maybe a little bit of remorse."
Detectives are still processing both scenes, the house and the garage where the bodies were found.
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