Madison police found probable cause Thursday to suspect Darrick E. Anderson for the murder of downtown resident Andrew Nesbitt.
Twenty-three-year-old Anderson, who does not have a permanent address, may receive charges of first-degree intentional homicide, Madison Police Department Chief Mike Koval told the Wisconsin State Journal.
The victim’s body was found by his roommate Monday—Nesbitt’s 46th birthday—in their North Butler Street apartment. His death was the result of “homicidal sharp object injury,” according to a statement released by the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Detectives have developed probable cause to suspect Anderson after a UW-Madison Police Department officer recognized images of him, according to MPD Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain.
Police found Anderson was being held at the Dane County Jail for suspected retail theft from East Towne Mall, and that he had pawned a bicycle and pair of headphones nearby earlier this week.
The suspect is currently in custody on that same charge, and a criminal complaint for the homicide is expected Monday, Koval said.
Anderson has a long criminal record dating back to 2012 which includes fourth-degree sexual assault, criminal damage to property and more recently has a disorderly conduct charge from March 22, among others.
It is not clear what the relationship between the suspect and victim was, but police said they have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime. Nesbitt, according to the State Journal, was attacked outside of a gay bar in Oshkosh in 2011, and has previously worked as an advocate for LGBT victims of hate crimes.
UPDATE March 30, 7:55 p.m.: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Anderson was the victim of a hate crime, while it was actually Nesbitt who was the victim of the hate crime. The Daily Cardinal regrets this error.
