Bristol Twp. Man Convicted Of First-Degree Murder For Fatal Stabbing Of Cousin

A 40-year-old man was found guilty of first-degree murder on Tuesday for the December 2021 stabbing death of his cousin in Bristol Township.

David Joseph Jenner, of Bristol Township, was found guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, and possession of an instrument of crime by Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Finley on Tuesday for the death of his cousin, Charlie Thomas Jr., 43, of Bristol Township, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.

Jenner will be sentenced at a later date.

The conviction came after a bench trial that started on Monday.

A bench trial, also known as a waiver trial, means that a defendant and prosecutor agree to waive a jury trial and have a judge decide.

Jenner testified on his on behalf during the trial and prosecutors presented the murder weapon, crime scene photographs, and body camera footage recorded by Bristol Township officers who responded to the incident at 605 Veterans Highway (Route 413) on December 19, 2021.

“I stabbed him,” Jenner said in the video. “The evidence is right there.”

The prosecution also presented testimony from residents of the home and cellphone footage capturing Jenner wielding a knife and engaging in an argument before the fatal stabbing occurred.

Jenner’s defense made the case that the death was in self-defense or a staged suicide.

Forensic pathologist Zhongxue Hua testified during the trial and revealed Thomas sustained eight stab wounds from a large kitchen knife, including a fatal five-inch-deep wound to the left side of his chest, which punctured his lung and caused severe bleeding. Other injuries included stab wounds to his left arm, three to his lower back, and one on his buttocks.

Months before the killing, Thomas and his mother offered Jenner, a distant cousin, a place to stay when he had nowhere else to go.

However, the act of kindness culminated in Thomas losing his life due to Jenner’s violent assault. The victim’s mother was also injured, having been stabbed in the left arm while trying to shield her son from the attack.

Jenner was arrested at gunpoint on the night of the stabbing after police and paramedics responded to the 9-1-1 call reporting the incident.

“It has been said that no parent should have to bury a child,” Deputy District Attorney Marc Furber said. “In this case, the mother of the victim had to watch her son die as she used her body as a shield to fend off the defendant’s repeated attacks.”

Court records have shown Jenner has an extensive criminal history dating back to when he was 18. His offenses range from drugs-related charges to flooding a police holding cell.

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