Man confesses to killing landlord 15 years ago in police recording

A man has confessed to the murder of his landlord 15 years ago, after calling police on himself and showing officers where he buried his body. Tony Peralta (pictured left), 37, had called police from a gas station in Roswell, New Mexico, on May 1st and told dispatchers he had killed his former landlord, 69-year-old William Blodgett in December 2008. Bodycam footage captured by the arresting officers shows Peralta repeatedly thanking officers for arresting him and confessing to the crime after they appeared on the scene.

The two officers approach Peralta who tells them he is ‘tired of covering it up and that he is ‘tired of living with my lie.’ Peralta also puts his hands behind his back to be cuffed and thanks officers for coming to pick him up. Sitting in an interview at the police headquarters after being handcuffed, he tells detectives: ‘I confess, man. I confess. I don’t want to live life anymore without confessing. I was on meth really bad. And I killed him because he wouldn’t give me no money and I buried him in his house.’ After leading police to the house where he said he killed Blodgett, Peralta tells them where they can find his body.

Investigators said they obtained a search warrant and found a boot, bones and dentures after removing plywood floorboards from a detached room on the side of the house. The dentures were compared with Blodgett’s dental records — obtained in early 2009 after he was reported missing — and that led to a positive identification, according to police. A tearful Peralta told police he didn’t know why he had killed Blodgett. At one point, police video shows him putting his head down onto a table during an interview and sobbing. Peralta, 37, was arraigned last Tuesday on a charge of first-degree murder but did not attend the hearing.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge through his public defender, Ray Conley, who declined to comment after the hearing. In an affidavit seen by DailyMail.com, Peralta is said to have told detectives: ‘Tell [Blodgett’s family] he was a good man and that he didn’t deserve what I did.’ Conley has said he will ensure Peralta’s due process is respected as the case moves through court. A judge on Tuesday also set Peralta’s trial for October but said that date could change. Blodgett’s girlfriend and family had not seen him since late December 2008. She told police that Peralta, who was considered a suspect by police early on, allegedly had some sort or argument or fight with Blodgett, who had tried to evict him.

Authorities at the time had talked to Blodgett’s (pictured) family, friends and neighbors and visited the home the two men shared, which appeared to have been abandoned with personal belongings still in place. Police found no immediate signs of foul play and Blodgett’s vehicle was still there, according to the original missing person report. Detectives would periodically drive by the house but never spotted anyone. They also brought a dog trained to sniff for bodies to the property but found nothing. Police said the case went cold after investigators exhausted all leads until Peralta’s 911 call. Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12156769/Man-confesses-killing-landlord-15-years-ago-police-recordings-show.html?ito=msngallery

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