He was high on LSD and hallucinating. He then stabbed a man to death, cops say

A man is facing a murder charge after deputies say he had a “bad reaction” to drugs, started hallucinating and stabbed another man.

Joseph Mueller, 22, was using LSD with a 20-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman around 11:45 p.m. Sunday when Mueller had a “bad reaction” and began hallucinating, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Mueller went into the kitchen of the home in the 1700 block of 49th Avenue West in Bradenton and grabbed a large carving knife. He then went into 47-year-old Arthur Sadler’s room and stabbed him in the stomach, deputies said. Sadler was taken to Blake Medical Center but died in surgery.

Mueller and the two others ran, but he and the woman were taken into custody at 19th Street and 49th Avenue West. The 22-year-old man was found in a fenced-in backyard in the 1800 block of 52nd Avenue West.

Once he was placed in a sheriff’s office patrol vehicle, Mueller continued having hallucinations, according to the sheriff’s office. He kicked and damaged the back door of the vehicle.

When deputies removed him from the vehicle, he hit the side of the patrol car, denting the rear quarter panel.

After interviews, deputies charged Mueller with second-degree murder in connection with Sadler’s death.

The 22-year-old woman was charged with obstruction.

The investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published October 22, 2018 at 11:20 AM.