St. Louis County man kills elderly roommates with tire iron, hammer: Charges

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A man in St. Louis County is facing murder charges for allegedly killing an elderly couple with a tire iron and a hammer. 

Prosecutors charged 54-year-old Roger Beldo on Wednesday with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of 78-year-old Clifford Johnson and 79-year-old Christine Johnson.

According to court records, Beldo met with a Duluth police officer in the emergency room parking lot on Oct. 28, claiming he needed to go to jail because he had done some "really bad things." 

The officer described Beldo had what appeared to be dried bloodstains on his jacket and clothing, and specks of blood on his white shoes. Beldo allegedly told the officer he killed his two roommates with a hammer and a tire iron, and they were in the house on Fir Circle in Babbitt, Minnesota. 

Additional law enforcement officers responded at the residence to conduct a welfare check and found a man lying motionless on the garage floor surrounded by a pool of blood, charges explained.

Authorities made their way inside the home and located a woman in one of the bedrooms with apparent head injuries. Court records say a hammer and crowbar were located at the scene. 

During the investigation, law enforcement spoke with Johnson’s granddaughter who said Beldo had been living at the home for at least a month. Beldo claimed he had no income, and the couple was "taking his food stamps," and they wanted his housing voucher after he was approved. 

"I killed them, nothing I can say," Beldo allegedly told investigators.  

Beldo made his first court appearance on Nov. 1, and the judge set his bail at $1 million. He remains in custody at St. Louis County Jail.