Detectives this afternoon charged Bruno Almeida-Rache, 27, with criminal homicide for today’s apparent strangulation death of Joshua Smithson, 36, inside Smithson’s E. Marathona Road residence in Madison.
Police and emergency medical personnel were called to the home by Almeida-Rache shortly before 7 a.m. today. Smithson was dead with multiple visible injuries to his face and head.
During an interview, Almeida-Rache, of Huntington, California, said he met Smithson through a dating app and arrived at his home at 2:30 a.m. He said they engaged in sex and ingested drugs. Almeida-Rache said he fell asleep and awoke to Smithson standing in front of the bed looking at him. He said he then kicked Smithson in the face and put him into a chokehold until he stopped moving.
Almeida-Rache is being held without bond pending a hearing.
Homicide Unit Detective Al Thompson is leading this investigation.
