The 42-year-old initially claimed insanity as a defense — after he allegedly accused his victim of being a “demon,” entered his apartment and stabbed him at least 16 times.
A 42-year-old Louisiana man has been sentenced to life behind bars — plus 40 years — for “brutally” stabbing and killing his 68-year-old neighbor in 2021.
The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office announced that on Oct. 9, a Jefferson Parish judge sentenced Jerry Gelpi to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of the first-degree murder of Charles Davis.
In addition to this sentence, he was also convicted of obstruction of justice — leading to the additional 40 years in prison, to be served concurrently — and slammed with a $100,000 fine.
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“Mr. Gelpi, you’re going where you deserve to be,” 24th Judicial District Court Judge Frank Brindisi reportedly told Gelpi while sending him to prison for the rest of his life.
The jury rejected Gelpi’s insanity defense last week and found him guilty as charged of the first-degree murder of his neighbor.
Gelpi lived in the same apartment building as Davis. According to the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office, Gelpi allegedly entered Davis’ apartment and attacked him in the bathroom, stabbing him at least 16 times. His body was reportedly found curled in the fetal position by his daughter, per prosecutors.
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The 42-year-old is accused of then taking steps to hide his involvement, including allegedly cleaning blood from the kitchen floor and discarding his bloody clothing and the murder weapon.
However, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives gathered evidence tying him to the crime.
He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming he was the “son of God” and that the victim — who was severely weakened from COVID-19 — was “a demon” who needed to die.
“You accused this man of being a demon,” Judge Brindisi told Gelpi in court last Wednesday. “You were the only demon that day.”
The judge rejected defense motions to overturn the jury’s verdict and for a new trial.
The judge also heard victim-impact testimonies from four of Davis’ family members, including a daughter who is set to celebrate her birthday this week without her father.
“Knowing that I can never get that phone call again is heartbreaking,” she shared in court.
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