A Missouri landlord was arrested after allegedly stabbing a new tenant over 30 times in front of the victim’s fiancée because the guy complained about the house’s lack of heat.
Gordon T. McBeth, 44, was arrested on Friday and charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of Darryl “Brent” Gilland, the Kansas City Star reported.
According to the report, officers from the Kansas City Police Department responded to a 911 call regarding a stabbing at the home Gilland and his fiancée recently began renting in the 6200 block of North Topping Avenue at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
When first responders got on the scene, they allegedly saw McBeth being held at gunpoint by someone who ultimately turned out to be a neighbor. Gilland was found face down in a pool of blood after receiving multiple stab wounds to his chest, back, arms, and legs, according to reports. Gilland was pronounced deceased at the scene by rescuers from the Emergency Medical Services.
According to court documents obtained by WDAF-TV in Kansas City, McBeth came to the house after Gilland and his fiancée texted him about the heat not functioning. Gilland’s fiancée, later identified as Samantha Pohlman, is said to have informed police that the communications were respectful.
“[Gilland] just messaged him like, ‘Hey, can we please just do something about the heating situation,” Pohlman told Kansas City CBS affiliate KCTV. “At first, the guy was perfectly nice about it. He was like, ‘yeah I’ll come over and we’ll do that, and then just out of nowhere he completely flipped and acted like we were asking too much and being a complete burden.”
According to witnesses, McBeth was driving erratically before pulling into the couple’s property and then became violent towards them right away. Pohlman claimed that as soon as he stepped out of his car, he started throwing items at her. When Gilland tried to intervene, McBeth is said to have pulled out a “large hunting-style knife” and pointed it at him, threatening to kill him. He allegedly began stabbing Gilland repeatedly shortly afterward. Pohlman allegedly told police that she screamed and rushed to a neighbor’s house.
As Pohlman fled in search of aid, several neighbors reported hearing “horrific screaming.” One of the neighbors, who the police did not identify, took his own pistol and proceeded to Gilland’s house. When he came, he spotted McBeth above Gilland, clutching a knife, he informed authorities.
Per the court documents, the neighbor ordered McBeth to get down on the ground and then kept him at gunpoint until the cops came. Other neighbors are said to have attempted to assist Gilland, but he died before paramedics arrived.
Investigators found that McBeth “viciously stabbed a man to death for no apparent reason,” according to a probable cause statement filed in Kansas City Judicial Circuit Court.
Donna Groves, Gilland’s mother, told KCTV that she was still trying to figure out what had happened to her son.
“Over nothing. I’m still in shock. I still can’t believe it,” she told the station.
She also credited Pohlman and the neighbors with ensuring McBeth’s capture.
“The neighbors are heroes. Sam is a hero,” she said. “That’s my baby. My son was very gentle, loving, caring, and would do anything for anybody. He did not deserve this. No one deserves it, but he especially did not deserve this.”
Gilland’s family set up a GoFundMe page for his funeral expenses. Gilland and his fiancée had barely been residing in the house for a week, according to a GoFundMe statement:
On Friday, October 22, 2021, several lives were impacted by the passing of Darryl “Brent” Gilland. Midday, Brent requested his landlord assist with the heat being turned on in his newly rented house – he and his fiancé had only lived in the homeless for a week. Upon arrival to the property, there was some sort of discussion that caused the landlord to snap and pull out a knife threatening both Brent and his fiancé. Samantha immediately ran to the neighbor’s house next door for help but by the time they returned Brent had lost his life due to multiple stab wounds. The neighbors were able to hold his killer at gunpoint until the cops arrived.
As you can imagine, we are all extremely devastated and in shock over the tragic loss of our loved ones.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $6,000. Gilland will be laid to rest among his grandparents in Indiana, with whom he had a close bond.
McBeth is being held on a $1 million bond at the moment. During a court hearing on Monday morning, he reportedly entered a not guilty plea. He’ll be back in court on Nov. 2 for a hearing on his bond reduction.
As per Lawandcrime, a Las Vegas landlord was arrested in August after police claimed he murdered two of his tenants to avoid having to go through the lengthy eviction procedure. Two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder were filed against Arnoldo Lozano Sanchez.
