PHILADELPHIA — A 52-year-old West Philadelphia man is charged with murder after police say he stabbed his roommate to death inside the home they shared on North Edgewood Street, then locked himself in a second-floor bedroom until SWAT officers took him into custody.
Philadelphia police identified the suspect Friday as Marvis Davis, 52, of the unit block of North Edgewood Street. He is charged with murder and related offenses. The victim was identified as Mark Burton, 53, who lived at the same address.
What police say happened
Officers from the 19th District were called to the unit block of North Edgewood Street at about 9:03 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, for a report of a person with a weapon. They found Burton with multiple stab wounds, and medics pronounced him dead at 9:19 a.m., according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
FOX29 reported that the 911 call came from a caretaker who arrived for work at the home and found the man she cares for had been stabbed.
Police said the suspect was inside a locked second-floor bedroom, and a barricade was declared. NBC10 reported the standoff lasted about an hour and that two women walked out of the home unharmed. SWAT officers then took Davis into custody without incident, police said. No one else was hurt.
“He couldn’t hurt a butterfly”
Burton’s cousin, Cyrell Green, told FOX29 that Burton loved music and family. “He was a great guy, didn’t hurt nobody,” Green said. Relatives told the station that Burton had lost his father and brother in the past two years, and that he and the man in custody had disagreements over the past year.
Police have not released a motive. The Homicide Unit is investigating. A mugshot was not available, police said.
Criminal charges are allegations subject to proof in court. Davis is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Sources: Philadelphia Police Department, NBC10, FOX29.
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