Adam’s County sheriff’s deputies who responded to a welfare check at a home in the Twin Lakes community in the early hours of Jan. 5 found rooms covered in blood, a decapitated and dismembered body under a blanket, and the victim’s head smoldering on a stove in the kitchen, according to an arrest affidavit.
The affidavit for Jose Valdez-Canas, 25, details a horrific stabbing and dismemberment seemingly motivated by delusions and paranoia.
Valdez-Canas is charged with first-degree murder, tampering with a deceased human body and abuse of a corpse in the stabbing death of a 31-year-old man at a home in the 6900 block of Ruth Way.
Valdez-Canas was on supervised release after being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, assault and kidnapping in Denver in September, according to the affidavit and court records. He was free on $10,000 cash bail.
The man killed on Jan. 5 has not yet been publicly identified by the Adams and Broomfield County Coroner’s Office.
Before the incident, the victim had told people he was having trouble with a roommate who had just gotten out of jail and was fighting with him and trying to steal the victim’s personal belongings, according to the affidavit.
Deputies responded to the home for a welfare check at approximately 4:30 a.m. after a witness living in the home called 911 about someone upstairs making a lot of noise.
Valdez-Canas answered the door and had blood on his face, hands and other parts of his body, according to the affidavit. When he saw deputies, he walked toward them with his hands up and lay face-down on the concrete.
After clearing the home, deputies discovered the victim’s body and dismembered body parts, according to the affidavit. They also found a machete and gun in the living room as well as knives and ammunition in Valdez-Canas’ pockets.
Valdez-Canas was taken to the hospital to treat a laceration on his hand. While at the hospital, he told deputies he killed the man before the man could kill him, and accused the man of doing “satanic things” and witchcraft as well as threatening Valdez-Canas’ family.
Valdez-Canas told deputies he was “given the touch of God,” that he had a mission and that God didn’t want the victim to live anymore, according to the affidavit.
He also described stabbing the victim and cutting off his head, according to the affidavit.
Deputies asked Valdez-Canas if the victim ever physically harmed him or threatened to harm him, and Valdez-Canas said he did not.
Valdez-Canas is in custody on a $5 million cash bail. He is set to appear in court on June 20.
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