Man Who Binged-Watched 'The Walking Dead' Beats Friend to Death
A man was charged with murder earlier this week after police discovered he had beaten up his friend to death after binge-watching AMC's "The Walking Dead."
Damon Perry, 23, of Prewitt, New Mexico admitted to police he had punched and kicked Christopher Pacquin, 23 and hit him with both sharp and blunt objects last Thursday after he observed Pacquin was slowly turning into a zombie.
Both Perry and Pacquin had been binge-watching the popular AMC apocalypse drama, "The Walking Dead," and had been heavily drinking a number of 40-ounce bottles of liquor when Perry said he heard his friend slurring and making grumbling noises while moving around in a shambling walk.
He also told investigators Paquin was attempting to eat anything he could get his hands on, and additionally tried "to bite him," leading him to fear his friend was turning into one of the walkers depicted in the show.
Perry allegedly hit Pacquin a number of times with kitchen knives, an electric guitar, and several more times with a microwave oven, attempting to subdue him.
After having killed Pacquin, Perry left his apartment and began going after his neighbors with a knife.
Neighbors called police to report an intoxicated man with a knife who was seen chasing a woman, apparently believing another neighbor had turned into a zombie, as well.
When police arrived, Perry had been restrained by two maintenance workers who were holding him down to the ground. They also discovered Paquin's body and responding paramedics declared the victim dead on the scene.
According to detective Moses Marquez of the Grants Police Department who arrived at the scene of the crime, the murder represented the "weirdest and most gruesome" killing he had seen in his career, he told NBC News.
No additional injuries have been reported, but charges of assault are currently being prepared against Perry.
Perry has been incarcerated at the Cibola County Detention Center, pending $800,000 in bail, while his preliminary hearing has been set for November 3.