Man charged with fatal stabbing in Alexandria thought victim was a werewolf, attorneys say

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - Defense attorneys say a man accused of brutally stabbing a man to death in Alexandria last July did so because he thought the victim was a werewolf.

On July 13, 2018, police were called to an Old Town window replacement business in the 1200 block of King Street after receiving reports for a suspicious death.

Once officers arrived at the scene, they found Pankaj Bhasin locked inside a Mercedes Benz with no pants on covered in blood.

Inside the business, officers found the owner, Brad Jackson, 65, suffering from 53 stab wounds, among other injuries.

On Tuesday in court, the defense pleaded to strike the murder trial from the court stating a more appropriate charge of voluntary manslaughter should be applied.

The defense claimed Bhasin suffered from mental health issues and that he thought Jackson was a werewolf at the time of the incident.

The judge, however, overruled the motion to strike down the case.

FOX 5 caught up with a close friend of Jackson to get his reaction.

"That is just unbelievable to me. I can't even fathom that. That sounds like a completely bogus defense. You know the brutality of this is just, you know, off the charts. I mean I can't imagine that that could hold up. That doesn't hold water to me.," said Bennett Moore.

The prosecution rested today. The trial will resume Wednesday at 9 a.m. where the defense will begin their case.