A 60-year-old veteran has been strangled to death in his home by his drunk neighbor who stumbled into the house after mistaking it for his own and attacked the older man thinking he was an intruder, it has been claimed.
Clifton King died after being attacked by neighbor Michael Augustine, 43, in his home at 10.15pm in Raytown, Missouri, on January 20.
According to police, they were alerted to the situation when Augustine called them reporting an intruder in his house and he gave them his own address.
He said he had the intruder ‘pinned down’ in his front yard.
Police arrived at his house to find it empty and no one outside but, after patrolling the area, they found the men in King’s front yard.
The 60-year-old was taken to hospital but was later pronounced dead.
Michael Augustine, 43, is pictured smiling in his mugshot after being arrested for the death of Clifton King, 60. King was the man’s neighbor. Police found the pair on King’s front yard on Saturday at 10.15pm and Augustine had him in a choke hold
Augustine told police to go to his house in Raytown, Missouri, claiming he had found an intruder inside and was in the front yard with him. He had actually gone to Clifton King’s home 176 yards away (top left) which is where they were found
Police said Augustine smelled of alcohol and was slurring his speech. In his booking photo, he is pictured smiling.
The 43-year-old was charged with first degree involuntary manslaughter. His bond was set at $150,000 which he posted this week.
It is not clear what he does for a living.
Neighbors say he has since moved out of the street and do not know where he is.
Neither the Raytown Police Department nor the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office responded to questions about the case.
They would not tell DailyMail.com whether Augustine was remorseful about the killing or if he had given them any statement about it.
Police found the men outside King’s home in Raytown, Missouri. Augustine had arrived there drunk, thinking it was his own house, and attacked the older man. He then called 911 and told police he had returned home to find
Augustine’s home (above) is 176 yards from the other man’s. It is where he told police to go first when he called 911
They did not say when he was next due back in court or if either man lived alone or with relatives.
Shocked neighbors have described Clifton as a ‘good neighbor who served the country’.
‘He served our country and that was not an honorable way to treat him.
‘”I think that it’s sad. It’s sad! Someone had to give up their life because someone was so messed up they didn’t know it wasn’t their home,’ one woman, who declined to be named, told local Missouri station Fox 4.
Others gave similar tributes on social media.