Pa police: Man got rid of tenant by killing him

An Abington landlord ousted his tenant by killing him and then dumping his body in a vacant lot in Philadelphia, according to authorities.

But the killing was not the result of a typical landlord-tenant dispute, claimed Montgomery County (Pa.) District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman.

Landlord Larry Reese, who leased an apartment in the 2200 block of Hamilton Avenue to his one-time friend Louis Malachowsky, had grown tired and then angry over Malachowsky's alleged incessant demands for money, said Ferman.

These demands were described as "extortion" by one witness, said Ferman, while declining to detail those demands.

Whatever the demands, Ferman said, they were not sufficient to justify murder.

"(Reese) wanted the victim out of his apartment and out of his life," said Ferman.

Reese, 44, of Lester in Dela-ware County, Pa., was arrested Wednesday and arraigned on charges of second- and third-degree murder, abuse of corpse, lying to police and related offenses.

Reese, who is being held in the county jail without bail, could receive a mandatory life sentence if convicted of second-degree murder.

Malachowsky, 54, died as a result of head injuries he suffered after being hit in the head with a pipe-like tool used by electricians.

Prior to his arrest, Reese had been employed some 20-plus years as an electrician with SEPTA. Reese also was a non-paid and non-armed volunteer Abington Township special police officer who helped to direct traffic at community events and religious services.

Reese, angry over text messages he had been receiving from Malachowsky, went to the apartment during the early morning hours of April 30. He "armed" himself with the tool, which he believed looked like a gun, to scare Malachowsky out of the apartment, according to the criminal complaint.

Malachowsky, who had been sleeping, woke up to see Reese standing in the apartment and threatened to call police, the complaint said. Reese told authorities he shouted back at Malachowsky and then apparently hit him on the head with the electrician's device, although he does not recall doing it, according to the criminal complaint.

Reese said that when he left the apartment, Malachowsky was still alive, the complaint said.

Reese returned the following day and found Malachowsky dead on the couch. He wrapped the lifeless body in several blankets before he placed it in a large trash can, the complaint said. Driving his pickup truck to the Frankford section of the city, Reese then dumped the body out of the trash can and onto a vacant lot before leaving, according to the complaint.

Reese and his wife subsequently allegedly removed Malachowsky's belongings and cleaned the apartment to remove any blood, the complaint said.

Philadelphia police found Malachowsky's body on the evening of May 1, the same day it was dumped in the lot.

Questioned by police, Reese "concocted" a story that Malachowsky was scheduled to move out on April 30, Ferman said. He told police that he and his wife went to the apartment the following day to clean it up for future tenants, according to the complaint.

Claiming that Malachowsky was being treated for cancer, Reese told detectives that his wife had to clean up blood stains from the floor because Malachowsky sometimes would vomit blood in reaction to medication he was taking, according to the complaint.

Ferman said that, while Malachowsky was being treated for cirrhosis, authorities had no evidence that he had cancer.

No charges have been filed against Reese's wife at this time but the investigation is continuing, said Ferman.

May 21, 2009 03:11 AM