Tony Peralta from Mexico was "tired of living with his lies" and decided to make a blunt confession to police to a crime he says he committed nearly 15 years ago. The man told authorities his secret had been eating at him for more than a decade, CNN reported.
Roswell Police Department said that the man had been considered a suspect in the murder of his landlord, William "Bill" Blodgett, after his sudden disappearance in December 2008. However, Mr Blodgett was never found and no one was arrested.
According to an affidavit, Mr Peralta told a detective, "A lot of people have an excuse, I don't have one." A video of the man confessing to the landlord's killing has surfaced. He also revealed the weapon he used and where he buried the victim's body.
Mr Peralta is now facing a first-degree murder charge, according to the Chaves County District Attorney's Office.
In the video released by Roswell Police Department, Peralta can be heard saying, "I'm just tired of covering it up."
"I'm tired of living with my life, sir," he told police and added that the guilt drove him to reach out.
"I killed somebody, dude," he told a detective later in an interview room, saying, "I killed him with a screwdriver."
During the video, Peralta can be seen crying as he reveals details of the case.
William Blodgett was reported missing on January 3, 2009, after no one in his family was able to reach him for more than 10 days, police say. Police later found out that Mr Blodgett had an issue with his tenant, a detective interviewed Peralta but "no new leads" came from the conversation.
In the video, Mr Peralta told authorities that he had taken some pills and had been drinking before calling the police and ultimately making the confession. "I confess. I don't want to live life anymore without confessing."
"He was a good man and didn't deserve what I did," Peralta told officers of Blodgett, according to the affidavit "He was always good to me and I took his life for no reason."
The affidavit says authorities found several bones, including a skull, CNN reported. A preliminary hearing in the case was waived by Peralta. He is expected back in court on August 21 for a status conference hearing.
