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Police have charged a man with the murder of a news anchor who knew his girlfriend ‘pretty well’ and lay in wait for him to get home from a night shift in Michigan.
Jim Matthews, 57, was found dead at his home in Chesterfield Township after returning home from a night shift at WWJ950 radio.
Police have now charged Arthur Williamson, 55, with the murder of Matthews after he attacked him on Friday.
Family members claim that his suspected killer had been ‘welcomed into the home’ hours before and waited for him to come back to the property before launching the violent assault.
Matthews ‘on-off girlfriend’ and the mother of his children Nichole Guertin, 35, had managed to escape the property despite being stabbed multiple times as well as gagged and bound.
She fled with their 5-year-old daughter, Rosie, who was not seriously injured, and managed to flag down a car after collapsing in a nearby parking lot.
Their son Hunter, 10, was beaten, hit with a hammer and bound before being thrown into a closet after the incident.
He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition and had to undergo brain and ear surgery after bravely trying to fight his father’s killer.
Arthur Williamson, 55, has been charged with the murder of Jim Matthews after attacking him in his own home in Michigan
News anchor Jim Matthews, 57, was killed at his home in Michigan, and his ‘on off’ girlfriend Nichole Guertin was stabbed multiple times in the incident
The couples two children, Hunter, 10, (left) and Rosie, 5 (right), were hospitalized following the murder of their father
Hunter was discovered by offices stuffed into a closet after being hit with a hammer when he tried to pull his fathers attacker off him
Police discovered Williamson overdosing on heroin and suffering from self-inflicted wounds in the basement of the family home.
The 55-year-old was resuscitated by officials before being rushed to hospital and was then taken into police custody at Macomb County Jail.
Pammy Healy, the children’s aunt, told DailyMail.com: ‘It’s someone that Nicole knew. I know that he knew Nicole pretty well.
‘It’s really disturbing.’ She said the family were in shock and were trying to get ready for when the children returned home.
Family members confirmed that Nichole is now in a stable condition, with her daughter remaining’ normal and happy’ despite the terrifying incident.
Family members say that the alleged killer was known to the family and knew Matthews girlfriend ‘very well’
Pammy Healy, the children’s aunt, told DailyMail.com that the suspect Arthur Williamson knew Nichole ‘really well’
The attack happened around midday Friday at thehome on Bayview Drive off Hooker Road in the Chesterfield Township, a quiet suburb outside of Detroit
A GoFundMe page confirmed that Hunter underwent successful surgery on his neck and can now move both sides of his body.
Both children are set to be looked after by their other aunt – Healy’s stepsister Ashley Quigley – after leaving hospital.
Healy continued: ‘Where they lived was the nicer part of the town. Rosie is doing amazing.
‘After the things that happened to her, I’m so thankful that she isn’t quite old enough to understand it. She’s in a chipper mood and ready to go see auntie Ashley.
‘Ashley now has guardianship of Hunter and Rosie, we’re hoping that’s long term.’
Matthews, who also went by Nicolai, was reportedly found in a scene worse than ‘a horror movie’ by his brother Jim.
He told WXYZ: ‘There is no motive, I don’t know why [the suspect] was in the house. I talked to the lead investigator, and my brother probably came home to this.
‘He comes home about 5:30 in the morning and was probably surprised and attacked.
‘I believe that Hunter the 10-year-old was trying to fight off this man that was attacking and trying to kill his father, and that’s how Hunter ended up injured and tied and put into a closet.’
Chasterfield Police have charged a 55-year-old man with murder in connection to the the brutal assault
Hunter is now in a stable condition after undergoing several surgeries, and his younger sister Rosie, who suffered less serious injuries, remains ‘happy and normal’
The unnamed assailant remains hospitalized and is in stable condition, but faces a litany of charges for the assault.
Police say that the unidentified attacker was an acquaintance of the family as well as frequent visitor of the residence, and had been invited inside the home before carrying out the attack.
Colleagues of the news anchor were forced to report on the death of the late journalist, who spent nearly seven years as the radio station’s overnight news anchor.
Jacki Page reported the breaking incident to thousands of listeners, saying: ‘We are updating our top story this afternoon.
‘It’s very difficult to report. Our overnight news anchor Jim Matthews was killed this afternoon in Chesterfield Township.’
An Audacy spokesman added: ‘We are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of our dear colleague Jim Matthews.
‘As this is an ongoing police investigation, we have no further comment at this time.’
