Police: Man who killed roommate in Drake neighborhood may have used self-defense

A man who allegedly killed his roommate in a Drake neighborhood apartment Wednesday morning may have been defending himself, said Sgt. Paul Parizek, spokesman for Des Moines police.

The body of Christopher John Latimer, 34, of Des Moines, was found in an upper-level apartment at 1076 21st St., Parizek said.

Latimer lived in the unit along with his mom, 55-year-old Lynne Marie Bailey and her boyfriend, Parizek said.

Bailey's boyfriend allegedly killed Latimer, but "it's going to be a very real possibility that self-defense is an explanation for this," he said.

An autopsy will need to be conducted along with more forensic examination before its decided whether charges will be filed or not, Parizek said. No charges have been filed yet.

The dynamic of the relationships in the apartment were "pretty tense," Parizek said.

Officers were first called to the unit around 1 a.m. Wednesday after a neighbor reported a dispute. After officers responded and "calmed down" the people in the unit, Bailey was taken into custody due to an unrelated warrant for possession of marijuana, according to court records.

A few hours later around 6 a.m., a neighbor in the apartment building heard a dispute, including yelling and screaming, Parizek said. The neighbor called police and said someone may have been killed.

When officers arrived, Bailey's boyfriend said he may have harmed someone in the apartment. Inside the unit, officers found Latimer's body, Parizek said.

Bailey's boyfriend was taken into custody and brought to the police station. He was released on Wednesday and has been cooperative with police, Parizek said. Bailey has also been released from jail.

Police have not released the details of how Latimer was killed. An autopsy is being conducted on Thursday at the Polk County Medical Examiner's Office.