- Michael Ray Bynum, 53, is charged with killing his roommate Timothy Ruthenberg, 59.
- The death occurred Oct. 5 at the Ville, a Salt Lake housing facility.
- Bynum claimed self-defense; an autopsy showed injuries from blunt force, steel-toed boots, police say.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake man who prosecutors say was paired up with man he didn't get along with at an apartment complex that helps people experiencing homelessness was charged Thursday with killing his roommate.
Michael Ray Bynum, 53, is charged in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony.
On Oct. 5, Salt Lake police were called to investigate a suspicious death at the Ville, 1990 W. North Temple, about 11:20 p.m. "The Ville is a temporary housing (facility) where people can apply for a room and be paired up with a roommate," police said.
Officers found Timothy Ruthenberg, 59, dead inside his apartment, "face down on the floor between the two beds," according to charging documents. An autopsy determined his injuries "were consistent with being hit, kicked, or blunt force with an object."
Investigators learned that Bynum was Ruthenberg's roommate, and the two "had not been getting along with each other, and there had been recent threats made by Bynum," the charges state.
When questioned, Bynum told police that he moved in with Ruthenberg in July and that the two "started fighting about things.
"Bynum described a history of disagreements with (Ruthenberg), at one point stating, 'Wow, this dude is trouble, man,' and his belief that (Ruthenberg) was intentionally irritating Bynum to get Bynum to move out of their shared room," according to the charges.
Bynum also claimed he tried to get the Ville staff to help him, but they did not. On the night Ruthenberg was killed, Bynum says "he went down to the office to get staff members because (Ruthenberg) was talking on his phone after hours. Bynum stated that after the staff members came to address the issue and then left, he was sitting on his bed and got up to go to the bathroom, when (Ruthenberg) threw a couple of fists at him," the charges state.
Bynum told police the two fought and he placed Ruthenberg in a chokehold to get him to stop fighting, and when Ruthenberg was "out," he laid him on the floor and left the room, according to charging documents.
Detectives, however, noted in court documents that Ruthenberg had marks on his body "that appeared to be consistent from the bottom of a boot" and that "when Bynum was taken into custody, he was wearing a pair of steel-toed work boots, which could be consistent with the impression/pattern located on the left and right side of (Ruthenberg's) body."
