Police have identified Bryce W. Winnecke, 33, as the suspect in a brutal homicide and reported decapitation of a family member in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Winnecke, born in November 1991 and a resident of 3012 Callaway Drive, was taken into custody Friday following an hours-long SWAT standoff.
The incident began just before 10 a.m., when Jeffersonville Police Department (JPD) officers were dispatched to a home in the 1700 block of Summerlin Place on a report of an “unresponsive, unconscious man.” Upon arrival, officers found the victim’s decapitated body—later identified by family members as Erich Von Winnecke Jr., the suspect’s father—dead inside the home.
Detective Sam Moss said it was immediately clear that foul play was involved. Law enforcement sources confirmed the victim’s injuries were consistent with a decapitation.
Within 20 minutes of the discovery, investigators located the suspect outside a residence in the 3000 block of Callaway Drive, near Charlestown Pike. Police said Winnecke was armed with a butcher knife and a human head in a transparent sack. The suspect then retreated into a home—now identified as his mother’s residence—prompting a SWAT response.
For nearly four hours, negotiators worked to convince the suspect to surrender. The standoff ended four hours later when Winnecke exited the home and was taken into custody without incident.
“This is an isolated incident,” Moss told reporters. “There is no indication of any threat to the wider community. The suspect and victim knew each other.”
JPD Chief Kenny Kavanaugh confirmed that search warrants were being executed at both scenes and that criminal charges were forthcoming. “Let’s please keep in mind, we have a family that was affected by the result of this,” Kavanaugh said.
During the standoff, Charlestown Pike was shut down, and nearby Pike Elementary School and River Valley Middle School were placed on a “secure hold” as a precaution. The Elks Country Club, located nearby, was also temporarily locked down.
Authorities have not yet released details on the specific charges Winnecke will face, though homicide charges are expected. The investigation remains ongoing.