NC man charged in beating death of landlord

OGDEN, N.C. — Authorities say a North Carolina man has been charged with killing his landlord.

The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said in a release Friday that 55-year-old Dennis Benjamin Roy of Ogden is charged with murder in the death of 68-year-old Carmine Anthony Bruno.

Officers say Bruno was struck repeatedly with a baseball bat while he slept Tuesday. His body was found Thursday in a garage.

They say Bruno’s wife, Mary, was ordered to her room and given a drug that kept her incoherent for two days. Authorities responded after she called her brother, who called 911.

Officers say Roy, a tenant, was upset Carmine Bruno had been verbally abusive to his wife in the past.

Roy is in New Hanover County jail. It wasn’t clear if he had an attorney.

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