Elderly Man Says He Killed Wife, Daughter Due To Fear Of Homelessness After Losing Job

An elderly Colorado man, who is accused of murdering his wife and daughter with an ax, has told police he killed them because he feared they would soon face homelessness.

He also thinks the victims are now "in a better place."

Reginald Maclaren will be formally charged during a court appearance on April 3 for the murders of his 70-year-old wife Bethany Maclaren and their 35-year-old daughter Ruth Jennifer Maclaren.

The bodies of the slain victims were found on March 25 after Reginald called 911 and said his wife and daughter had been murdered, People reported.

"He stated that he believed he knew the suspect and that the suspect had used a hammer," a statement read.

Police officers arrived at Reginald's Englewood apartment and found two bodies stuffed into large trash cans on the floor of the living room/kitchen area.

The victims had "substantial" injuries, and one of them had been dismembered with a saw, police reportedly said.

Longtime detectives described the apartment as "one of the most gruesome crime scenes" they had ever seen, Tracy Jones, Englewood police's division chief, said, as per Action News 5.

Jones added that mental health support was being provided to all officers that are part of the case.

Upon further investigation, officials determined that the two women had been murdered with an axe. Authorities reportedly claimed to have enough evidence to name Reginald as the suspect in the killing.

Reginald was arrested on March 25 and taken to the hospital for a preexisting medical condition, Crystal Essman, a spokesperson for Englewood police, said, according to AP News.

The accused husband was booked into jail Tuesday.

When Reginald confessed to the killings, he told officials that he had lost his job at Hospital Shared Services, which offers security services to health care facilities.

Having no money left, Reginald could not pay rent and would have had to move out of his residence on March 25, he said in the statement to investigators, according to the outlet.

The accused man added that had regular encounters with homeless people and was aware of how difficult life could be due to homelessness.

Reginald then said he did not regret murdering his wife and daughter because he knew "they are in a better place" now.