OAKLAND — A man was charged with murder Friday in the fatal shooting earlier in the week of a West Oakland man who was his former roommate, according to authorities and court records.
Michael Stafford, 35, is charged in the killing of 31-year-old David Robert Willis, who was found dead from more than one gunshot about 11:40 p.m. Tuesday in his apartment in the 700 block of 29th Street.
Willis was found after police were requested to make a welfare check on him.
According to authorities and court records Willis was most likely killed last Sunday about 7 p.m. after he and Stafford got into an argument in Willis’ apartment in the building. Stafford also lived in the same building and the two had been roommates until a few days before when Willis moved to another unit in the building, authorities said.
Police are still trying to determine the actual motive for the killing.
Stafford was arrested Wednesday morning at an Oakland hardware store where he worked, authorities said.
According to the court documents, Stafford claimed to investigators he and Willis got into a physical confrontation outside Willis’ apartment that resulted in a struggle over a gun during which Willis shot himself before Stafford was able to get the gun and shoot him again. Stafford also claimed he dragged Willis’ body inside Willis’ apartment and left.
But according to the documents, Stafford’s description of how and where Willis was shot “are inconsistent with the coroner’s report” and observations of officers at the scene.
According to the documents, Stafford said after the shooting he threw the gun into a local lake. It has not been recovered.
Stafford is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail.