A Louisiana resident, Jerry Gelpi, who professed to be the “son of God” and labeled his COVID-19-stricken upstairs neighbor as a “demon” that needed to be eliminated, has been sentenced to life imprisonment plus 40 years. The 42-year-old Gelpi was convicted for the brutal murder of his 68-year-old neighbor, Charles Davis, as announced by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney. In addition to his sentence, Gelpi was also slapped with a $100,000 fine.
During the sentencing, 24th Judicial District Court Judge Frank Brindisi addressed Gelpi, stating, “You accused this man of being a demon. You were the only demon that day.” Gelpi was found guilty of first-degree murder on October 3, after a Jefferson Parish jury deliberated for 24 minutes. The jury dismissed Gelpi’s defense that a mental defect had impaired his ability to distinguish right from wrong at the time of the murder.
Gelpi was also convicted of obstruction of justice for disposing of the murder weapon in the Mississippi River. The gruesome incident occurred on February 8, 2021, when Gelpi invaded Davis’ apartment and launched an attack at the bathroom entrance. During the altercation, Gelpi stabbed Davis in the neck, causing the sink to be dislodged from the wall.
Davis was either shoved or fell into the bathtub, where Gelpi continued his assault, stabbing him at least 16 times. After the murder, Gelpi cleaned the blood off his hands in the kitchen and returned to his apartment seven minutes later.
The following morning, Davis’ daughter discovered her father’s lifeless body in the bathtub after he failed to respond to her text messages. His wallet was also missing. Surveillance footage quickly led detectives to Gelpi, who initially denied any knowledge of the murder and even provided the name of a local homeless man as a potential suspect.
However, upon further investigation, detectives discovered Gelpi’s history of knife-related crimes. His DNA profile, which was in a national database due to a previous robbery conviction, was found under Davis’ fingernails and on the kitchen faucet Gelpi used to clean his hands. When police arrested Gelpi, he was found in possession of a knife.
A search of Gelpi’s apartment revealed five tactical knives, and his computer search history indicated an interest in knife fighting and specific techniques for stabbing vital organs. Despite these findings, Gelpi pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming he was not in control of his actions when he killed Davis, whom he believed to be a powerful demon.
Gelpi’s defense attorney argued that his client was insane at the time of the murder and therefore could not be held criminally responsible. However, prosecutors refuted this claim, suggesting that Gelpi had a history of feigning illness to evade punishment.
Before his tragic death, Davis, a forklift operator who cycled several miles to work daily, was severely weakened by COVID-19. He had lost 70 pounds, required supplemental oxygen, and was undergoing long-term rehabilitation after being hospitalized for several months. His girlfriend had also succumbed to the virus while he was in the hospital.