A Texas man was charged with murder after two bodies, suspected to be his mother and her partner, were decomposing and bludgeoned in their shared home.
Michael Andrew Novak was arrested on July 28 and booked into Bandera County Jail with a $1 million bond, according to the Bandera Bulletin. Law enforcement responded to a call about a “foul odor” emanating from Novak’s residence, leading to the discovery of two bodies with “severe” head trauma lying dead in a bed.
“We believe it’s the residents, but due to the trauma and decomposition, we haven’t been able to positively identify,” said Chief Deputy Matt King of the Bandera County Sheriff’s Office. Autopsies have been scheduled with Central Texas Autopsy.
The victims are believed to be Crystal Holder, Novak’s mother, and her common-law husband Rick Biering, the New York Post reported. Holder’s mother, Judi Andreolli, arrived at the scene to do a wellness check on her daughter and discovered the bodies.
“My daughter was such a loving, giving, beautiful person and I just can’t think of much else right now. I can’t believe this has happened,” she told KENS 5 at the scene. Anreolli said she was in disbelief when she was informed of the news.
She also mentioned that Novak was previously incarcerated for shooting his father and suffered from emotional issues. According to KSAT, he was put on probation in May for the offense.
The Bandera County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests from The Dallas Express for comment.
Bandera is about 240 miles south of Dallas, where there have been 153 murders as of August 5, according to a Dallas Police Department (DPD) report.
DPD has been understaffed for years now, maintaining a force of around 3,100 officers. A City analysis, however, advises that the city should have a police force of about 4,000 officers.
The shortage has been felt in Downtown Dallas. The neighborhood sees far more crime than Fort Worth’s downtown area, which reportedly maintains a dedicated police unit working alongside private security.
