A suspect was arrested Monday night in connection with the murder of AU alum Tymon Birchett.
Enzo Maximillian Costa, 22, of Silver Spring, Md., called the Metropolitan Police Department Monday night, identified himself as "Max Costa" and said he wanted to confess to Birchett's murder, according to a document from the U.S. District Attorney's office.
Birchett, 29, grew up in Silver Spring, according to The Washington Post.
Birchett, widely known as "Tymex," was found dead in a duffel bag in his apartment at 2122 Massachusetts Ave. NW on Dec. 9 by U.S. Marshals. The Marshals were sent because Birchett had not paid his rent, the document said.
The D.C. medical examiner's office ruled after an autopsy that Birchett was beaten and strangled to death.
According to the document, two MPD detectives questioned Costa Monday night. During questioning, Costa said he went with Birchett to Birchett's apartment early on the morning of Dec. 9, after the two were at a party.
"While in the apartment, Mr. Costa said that he feared he was going to be sexually assaulted by Mr. Birchett. This caused Mr. Costa to physically assault Mr. Birchett," the court document said.
Costa was charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bond, according to the document. He is set to have a preliminary hearing on Feb. 17.
Witnesses confirmed seeing a man matching Costa's physical description inside Birchett's apartment building on Dec. 8, according to the document. Other witnesses reported seeing Birchett that day with "a young white male that they know as Max."
People who worked with Birchett at the AU audiovisual department, where he worked while he was an AU student, did not believe Birchett would have assaulted anyone.
"He was a nice, happy, small guy,
non-threatening. I don't see how this guy can claim that...that's ridiculous," said Ron Carlton, the department's assistant director. " I never knew anyone who
disliked him."
The University Registrar's office was previously unable to confirm when or if Birchett graduated from AU. Friends and coworkers estimated that he might have graduated in 2001 or 2002.
Birchett was a well-known music promoter with an "avant-garde fashion sense," said audiovisual manager Eric Gordon, who said he and Birchett were good friends. Gordon said Birchett had worked for the record label V2, which includes artists like Moby and The White Stripes.
"Everybody knew him," Gordon said. "He was well known in the underground club scene. Almost every DJ in town knew him."
Gordon, who also works as a disc jockey, said Birchett helped him and other DJs get jobs.
While Carlton was glad a suspect
had been caught, he said, "I'd rather have Ty back"
