The Truth About Jamison Bachman's Death
Searching for a roommate is difficult enough. Imagine finding someone who's kind, considerate, and professional, only to learn later you don't even know their real name, and that they've engaged in unusual and frightening behavior, while they gradually try to take over your house or apartment for themself. And all without paying a dime toward rent or utilities. That's exactly what happened with Jamison Bachman, a "serial squatter," as told in the hit Netflix series "Worst Roommate Ever."
Each episode in the five-part docu-series tells some of the most brutal and troubling living situations imaginable. Some start out seeming idyllic, but over time, each one gradually turns into a living nightmare, including serial killers, serial scammers, and worse. Jamison Bachman was such a bad roommate, in fact, Netflix devotes two full episodes to his terrible exploits, according to Oxygen. And when it's all said and done, Jamison Bachman is dead.
An early trauma
According to Netflix, Jamison Bachman (above) witnessed a deeply troubling murder when he was a promising student at Tulane University. A fraternity brother of Bachman's had his neck slashed right in front of Bachman and died, according to Oxygen. From that point onward, Bachman's life took a turn for the worse. Prior to that, Bachman had a competitive relationship with his brother, Harry, toward whom Jamison felt their father showed favoritism.
Examples of preferential treatment include refusing to pay for Jamison's college education, which the elder Bachman had done for his son, Harry. Jamison carried such resentment toward his father, in fact, he refused to attend his own father's funeral, as Intelligencer reports. Later on in life, Jamison Bachman earned a law degree, but he never passed the bar, and never worked as a lawyer, according to The Cinemaholic. He would instead use his legal education to scam future housemates, who only believed they'd found the perfect roommate or tenant.
Alex Miller
When Jamison Bachman replied to Alex Miller's Craigslist post announcing she had a room for rent in the Philadelphia area, he used a fake name, Jed Creek, as Intelligencer reports. Bachman seemed to Miller like the perfect candidate, and he moved in quickly, claiming to be a lawyer, per Radio Times. What felt like a stroke of good luck to Miller would end up a nightmare. Soon enough, Bachman, posing as Creek, began to engage in unusual and threatening behavior, such as sneaking into Miller's personal space while also failing to contribute financially, among other harrowing examples.
Things only got worse from there. When Miller pressed Bachman over unpaid bills and other offenses, he threatened legal action, and even slashed her leg with a knife. He also had an unusual habit of dumping kitty litter into the toilet. This all led Miller to seek a restraining order against Bachman, whom she still believed to be named Jed Creek, according to Screen Rant. Aware of her daughter's predicament, Miller's mother began to investigate. She not only discovered Bachman's real name, but she also uncovered that her daughter was not the first person that Bachman had swindled.
Additional victims
As it turns out, Jamison Bachman had a pattern of moving in with women only to end up engaging in very similar and threatening behavior, which included clogging up their toilets with cat litter, failing to contribute money for rent and utilities, invading personal space, threatening violence, and refusing to leave when asked. In one situation, with a woman named Arleen Hairbaedian, there was even a romantic relationship, per Screen Rant. Another victim of Bachman's pattern of serial squatting, named Sonia Acevedo, had selected Bachman for a roommate in Queens, New York because he seemed so reliable, just as Alex Miller had done.
Sure enough, though, Bachman's erratic behavior showed up in the Acevedo case as well. She took on extra work to cover the mortgage to which Bachman refused to contribute. He drove another one of Acevedo's roommates away with his antics, according to Screen Rant. Acevedo still struggles to make financial amends for the financial predicament she found herself in after ridding herself from Bachman. What's more, these are just three of the people that Jamison Bachman tormented in a similar fashion, per Screen Rant.
Bachman's brother, Harry, enters the picture
Armed with valuable information from her mother, Alex Miller managed to get Bachman to move out. She also informed the authorities he had used a fake name, according to Radio Times. Nevertheless, Bachman returned to the property to attack Miller. As a result, he wound up in jail. He was charged with assault. Bachman would be bailed out by his brother, Harry. But when he violated the restraining order taken out by Alex Miller, Bachman was soon back in custody. Harry Bachman would bail out his brother once more.
With no place to stay, Jamison asked his brother and Harry's wife, Caroline, if he could move in with them. Bachman's brother, and his wife, refused his request. As a result, Jamison Bachman beat his brother to death in his brother's own home, pictured above. Following that, Jamison Bachman stole a credit card and checked into a hotel under his brother's name. He was later arrested and charged with murder. He used an ax to fight back against the SWAT Team that took him into custody, as Intelligencer reports.
The death of Jamison Bachman
Jamison Bachman would not ever stand trial for killing his brother, or for any of the cons, swindles, and assaults he perpetrated on Alex Miller, Arleen Hairbaedian, Sonia Acevedo, and others. Before Bachman could appear in court, charged with first and third degree murder, he died by suicide. Bachman hung himself in his own jail cell. For their part, the horrific Bachman experience left Miller and Hairabedian feeling guilty and traumatized, as Intelligencer reports.
As Miller said, "I feel responsible for all of it," (via Intelligencer). With Hairabedian also adding, "I wanted him to suffer," but she couldn't help but feel guilty for the tragic way things had turned out. "What if he just wanted somewhere to stay and he showed up and his brother said he didn't want him there and it escalated?" Hairabedian continued. "What if he was desperate? Here I am, making excuses," she said (via Intelligencer).
Telling the complete Jamison Bachman story, among others, "Worst Roommate Ever" is now streaming on Netflix. The trailer is posted on YouTube.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).