A woman accused of fatally stabbing her female roommate in their Bethesda apartment believed the victim was evil and practiced witchcraft.
Montgomery County police announced details of the homicide Wednesday after charging Rita Narcissa Sanders-Campfield, 53, with first-degree murder in the death of 67-year-old Chong Park. The women shared a home as part of a housing program for individuals with psychiatric disabilities.
Police said Ms. Park was found dead on her bedroom floor Tuesday with a butcher knife sticking out from her back. Court documents state that Ms. Sanders-Campfield remained in the home, hiding bloody clothes in her closet. A bloody pair of scissors was also found on Ms. Park’s bed.
A handwritten journal police recovered from beside Ms. Sanders-Campfield’s bed contained entries that identified Ms. Park by name and stated that she was evil and practiced witchcraft.
The executive director of the nonprofit organization that runs the housing program, Housing Unlimited Inc., declined to answer questions about the housing program or about Ms. Sanders-Campfield. Abe M. Schuchman issued a statement Wednesday saying that Ms. Park had been a tenant through the program since 2006.
“During these eight and a half years, she was a model tenant — caring, conscientious, warm, friendly, and well-liked by all,” he said.
The organization is described on its website as providing “affordable, permanent housing for low-income individuals in mental health recovery.” The website states that Housing Unlimited currently serves 165 individuals who live in 58 homes throughout Montgomery County.
“The death of Ms. Park is the only incident of this nature in our 20 years of operation,” Mr. Schuchman said.
Ms. Park’s daughter told police she had last seen her mother and Ms. Sanders-Campfield on Friday, at which point her mother’s roommate told her that she was not doing well but that she was seeking to be “perfected.”
After Saturday, Ms. Park’s daughter was unable to contact her mother and asked someone from Housing Unlimited to check on her.
An employee of the nonprofit went to the home, located in the 11800 block of Old Georgetown Road, on Tuesday morning and discovered the grisly scene before calling police.
When officers arrived at the apartment, they found Ms. Sanders-Campfield in her bed. She appeared to have bite marks on her arm, police said.
Ms. Sanders-Campfield had her first court appearance in Montgomery County District Court Wednesday. She was ordered held without bond.
No lawyer was listed as representing her in online court records.
• Andrea Noble can be reached at anoble@washingtontimes.com.
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