Man Charged with Ax Killing of Grandfather

A man taken in by his grandparents killed his grandfather with an ax a month later and is now facing first-degree murder charges, according to police.

Jesse Wayne Gunderson, 26, of Wayne County, is accused of killing his grandfather, Danny Louis Dart, 58, by striking him in the head with an ax at around 5 p.m. Saturday in Dart’s backyard, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Gunderson had arrived at his grandparents’ house with no advance warning about a month ago and had been living there ever since. John Phillips, Dart’s brother-in-law, told the Detroit Free Press that Gunderson had previously lived in Fresno, California, working at a medical facility.

“The family is just heartbroken,” Phillips told the paper. “This took the breath out of them.”

In addition to taking Gunderson into his home, Dart had also taken his grandson on many outings, such as odd jobs and a Detroit Tigers game, Phillips said.

Gunderson is scheduled for an Oct. 6 probable cause conference and an Oct. 13 preliminary examination.