The Tragic Story Of Jamison Bachman's Brother
Jamison Bachman is one of the subjects on Netflix's documentary series "Worst Roommate Ever." Episodes 4 and 5 of Season 1 feature Bachman's former housemates, as they tell the story of how they were conned by a man who seemed, at least at first, an ideal housemate.
A 2018 article from New York Magazine described Bachman as a serial squatter, who deceived residents from various areas on the East Coast. He looked for places to rent and appeared like the perfect roommate, and then his con began. He failed to pay rent, moved furniture in the home, and went through his housemates' rooms without permission. He caused trouble when asked to leave, and in some cases even went to court. Throughout his troubles, his brother, Harry Bachman, would sometimes help by offering him a place to stay. Bachman had been serial squatting since 2012, and it came to a violent end in 2017 when he was arrested for aggravated assault for attacking his roommate, Alex Miller, with a serrated knife.
Jamison Bachman's arrest
Jamison Bachman answered Alex Miller's Craigslist ad for a roommate and introduced himself to her as Jed Creek. The initial meeting went well, and their dogs also got along, which was a big plus for Miller. Bachman said he could pay the rent upfront and gave her a check for $800, and Miller was in desperate need of someone to share half of her rent after her former roommate left abruptly, as reported by the New York Magazine. Everything went well for a while, but then Miller started seeing some red flags.
Bachman refused to pay bills, and he rearranged the furniture in the home. The roommates often got into arguments, but Bachman refused to leave and said they could handle their issues in court. Miller then found out about her roommate's real identity, and she concocted a plan to force him to leave. She threw a large party and played rap music, which she knew would annoy Bachman. The following day, the roommates got into a heated argument, and Miller ended up with a knife wound on her thigh. Authorities were called, and Bachman was arrested for aggravated assault.
Harry Bachman bailed out his brother twice
Harry Bachman knew of his younger brother's violent tendencies and his past troubles. When Jamison Bachman was arrested for aggravated assault, Harry was the one who bailed him out. After a few weeks, Jamison met with Alex Miller and her mother at a police station parking lot to get his belongings, and he got everything he owned except his cat, which the Millers adopted out. This angered Bachman, and as he left, he yelled at Miller and said, "You're dead, b***h." She immediately reported the incident — which was a violation of the protection order she had against him — and Bachman was arrested again, as reported by the New York Magazine.
Harry, again, went to his brother's rescue and bailed him out a second time. Jamison asked his brother if he could stay at his home at Elkins Park, but Harry refused. He knew what it was like living with his brother based on prior experience, and he didn't want issues in his home, so he asked him to find a place to stay elsewhere.
Harry Bachman's death
On the evening of November 3, 2017, Harry Bachman arrived at his home at Elkins Park in Philadelphia and was surprised to see Jamison Bachman there. He was scheduled to head to Albany, New York to meet up with his wife Caroline, and he sent her a text that read, "Guess who just showed up just as I drove in," according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The message was followed by another text to Caroline that said Harry was on his way to New York.
Caroline was worried when Harry didn't arrive the following day, so she called the police to do a welfare check. Authorities noted that there was no vehicle on the driveway, and they assumed that he had already left to meet with his wife. A second check was done later in the day, and that was when police found traces of blood leading to the front door, per The New York Magazine. Upon further inspection, police found Harry deceased in the basement, and it was apparent that his death wasn't an accident.
Crime scene details
Detectives found a hole in the drywall of the dining room, as well as a broken plate. Bloody drag marks from the room led to the basement where Harry Bachman's body was discovered. According to CBS Philly, Harry sustained injuries on his head and a laceration on his ear. His cause of death was reported to be blunt force trauma to the head, and the assailant seemed to have fled the scene in Harry's Ford Escape.
An investigation into Harry's death pointed to his brother, Jamison Bachman, who was named as the suspect. Harry's iPhone was left at the scene, and there was an alert that said his credit card was used at the Fairfield Inn and Suites on November 4. Authorities headed to the location where they found the Ford Escape in the parking lot. It was discovered that Jamison checked in to the hotel using his brother's identity. A SWAT team was dispatched to arrest Bachman, but he wasn't taken without incident. Per NNY 360, he attacked the officers with an ax, injuring one officer in the arm and another in the face.
Jamison Bachman's never went to trial
Jamison Bachman was charged with his brother's murder and was held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. Detectives suspected that Jamison may have killed his brother after Harry refused to let him stay at his home. Jamison's preliminary hearing was scheduled to take place on December 11, 2017, but it never pushed forward, as Bachman died by suicide and was found hanging in his cell a few days earlier, as reported by the Philly Voice. He was 60 years old.
Bachman's former roommates had mixed emotions after hearing about his death. It was a tragic end, but they knew that his absence meant that others would no longer be victims of his con. Alex Miller said, via NNY 360, "How dare he? First, he ended up destroying himself. Then he killed his brother, the only person in the world left to help him. And then he killed himself."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).