New York

Man Charged With Murder in NYC Home Invasion Horror: NYPD

The couple was tied up and pillowcases were placed over their heads, police said

What to Know

  • The husband and wife were at their apartment in Bedford-Stuyvesant when at least two masked men burst in
  • The couple was tied up and pillows were placed over their heads, sources said
  • The woman broke free and called police; her husband was pronounced dead at an area hospital

A 27-year-old man has been charged with murder in the home invasion that killed a 91-year-old man and injured his 100-year-old wife in Brooklyn, according to the NYPD.

Dwayne Blackwood also faces assault and burglary charges in the violent Brooklyn home invasion that left Waldiman Thompson dead last week, acccording to the NYPD. Police are searching for one other person of interest in the case. 

As Blackwood was escorted out of a police precinct Friday night, onlookers shouted "You're a punk!" to the suspect. Blackwood walked with his head down and didn't respond to reporters questions as he was escorted into an unmarked NYPD car.

Two masked suspects broke into the home of Thompson and his wife Ethlin Brumley Thompson, pulled pillowcases over their heads and tied them up, police said. The men then threatened to kill Ethlin if she wasn't quiet, according to court documents. 

The court documents say surveillance footage shows Blackwood near the home after the robbery with a bag and a lock box closely resembling one stolen from the Thompsons' home.

Ethlin Thompson was able to break free, escape and call 911 but when police arrived they found Waldiman Thompson unresponsive on the floor with a cord and sheet over his head, court documents say. He was pronounced dead after he arrived at Interfaith Medical Center. Medical examiners later told DNAinfo Waldiman Thompson had heart disease and high blood pressure and the stress of the break-in caused him to have a heart attack that killed him. 

Ethlin was taken to the same hospital for injuries to her legs and for observation.

Funeral services were held for Waldiman Thompson in Fort Greene Friday morning. 

Earlier this week, police put out surveillance images of a person of interest in the case and announced a $10,000 reward for information. 

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