The University of Idaho Argonaut

Murder suspect has history of questionable mental health

A court document in the Saturday shooting of University of Idaho student David Robert Boss indicates the suspect arrested for the murder, John Joseph Delling, may have a history of mental instability and violence.

Delling, 21, a former University of Idaho student, was arrested Tuesday in Sparks, Nev., for driving a stolen vehicle. He was taken into custody after being identified by the Moscow Police Department and Ada County Sheriff’s Department as a person of interest in connection with two murders. Delling is suspected of killing Boss, 21, found dead in his apartment Saturday, and Boise State University student, Bradley Morse, 25, found face-down in a pond Tuesday morning. Both men were shot twice in the head.

“We are confident John Delling committed the homicide of David R. Boss,” said Moscow Police Chief Dan Weaver.
Detectives have not released a motive, but Weaver said police “have a potential motive in mind.”
An affidavit of initial probable cause, filed in the Moscow 2nd District Court, reveals several illustrations of Delling’s tenuous mental state.

Both Delling and Boss attended the same high school, and according to the affidavit they grew up together in the same neighborhood in Boise. Delling visited Boss at his home in Boise during the 2006 Christmas break. The visit caused Boss some concern for Delling’s mental state, and Boss commented to his father, Richard Boss, that he was “acting irrational and was delusional.”
According to the affidavit, Richard Boss was contacted by the Moscow Police Department’s Lt. Paul Kwiatkowski in order to determine who might want to kill his son.
“Richard could think of only one person who might want to hurt his son, and that was John Delling,” the affidavit reads.

Three weeks prior to Boss’ murder, during a meeting with his brother Eric Delling, a UI student, John Delling asked, “Do you think David is the one stealing my powers?” The question was an apparent reference to Boss.
According to the affidavit, in an interview between Detective Mike Arp and Eric Delling, Eric commented that this was not the first time his brother had made mention of someone stealing his “power or aura.”

As Arp continued to ask questions concerning his brother’s relationship with Boss, Eric Delling asked if Boss was “OK.” When Arp ignored the question, Eric Delling responded, “I want to know if David is all right.” Arp admitted Boss was in fact not all right, to which Eric Delling responded, “That goddamned John killed David, didn’t he?”
The affidavit also stated John Delling was in possession of firearms, which his family took and sold. It is not clear when the firearms were taken.

Preliminary autopsy reports revealed the gun used in the murders was likely a .38 caliber handgun, which has not been recovered. However, the vehicle Delling was driving at the time of his arrest has not yet been processed, and police are hopeful the weapon will be found.
Damian Ball, UI junior majoring in computer science, was the president of Snow Hall in Wallace Residence Center during the four and a half weeks Delling stayed there before being asked to leave.
Ball described Delling’s interactions with the other residents as being “intense” and frequently violent.

According to Ball, Delling spoke frequently about his powers and energy being stolen. Ball said that Delling seemed to think there were people who worked for an organization that existed to steal people’s energy, and it was common for him to approach people and ask if they were trying to steal his energy or powers.
Ball said Delling thought he could replenish his stolen energy by listening to loud music and “rocking out in his room.”

On one occasion, Delling spat on a resident assistant, and during a separate heated dispute threw a student against a wall.
Delling was particularly threatening to women in the hall, and within the first few weeks of his residence a petition created by several female students was submitted to campus authorities to have him removed from the hall, Ball said.

Police came to the hall as a result of Delling’s activity on two occasions. Following the second police visit, Delling was removed from the hall and moved into an all-male residence facility.
“We knew he was crazy from the first week he was here,” Ball said. “I didn’t think he was that dangerous. I thought he seemed like an odd guy. He never seemed threatening to me.”
During his multiple dealings with campus conduct officers, Ball said, Delling was able to talk his way out of trouble.

“He was always given another chance,” Ball said.
Because of his frequent confrontational interactions with other residents, Delling was often the target of harassment.

Ball remembered an occasion when several football players from the floor above them threatened Delling in order to get him to stop disturbing women in the hall.
As far as Ball knows, no one asked Delling if he was sick or needed help.
According to Moscow Police Department Captain David Duke, UI authorities filled out a trespassing form, stating Delling could not enter university property for one year, on April 7, 2005.

Following his removal from UI, Delling was convicted of stalking in an unrelated case in Boise.
Detectives first suspected Delling of Boss’ murder when they traced a phone number found on Boss’ incoming call log to a phone registered to Delling. The call was made from south Moscow, near Boss’ apartment, and lasted nearly 16 minutes. The call took place at around the time of the murder.
Delling’s phone was tracked to Sparks, Nev. Police believe Delling was on his way to Antelope, Calif., the home of his parents.

Boss was discovered dead in the kitchen of his apartment early Saturday morning by his roommate at their South Main Street apartment.
ASUI President Berto Cerrillo said he could not imagine how intensely upsetting the situation must have been for the roommate. “My heart goes out to (Boss’) roommate who found him,” he said.

Doug Raymer, a 2006 UI graduate and former roommate of Boss, said though the arrest won’t bring his best friend back, he’s happy it was made.
“I really wish it would, but we’re all hoping that it’s the guy and we’ll get some answers and this won’t happen to any other families or friends of people,” Raymer said.
University of Idaho President Tim White and Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney praised the police department’s work Tuesday and commended students and administrators at UI for their help.

White said he is “saddened by the death of two young men” and there will be a memorial on campus soon.
Delling is currently being held in jail in Nevada awaiting an arraignment and extradition hearing next week.

Moscow and Boise detectives are working with prosecutors to build a case in anticipation of the murder charges, which will be filed against Delling.
White said administrators will continue making efforts to reach out to Boss’ circles of friends as they are found.

Boss’ parents will hold a memorial this weekend, and a memorial is being planned at UI in the near future.
The university is reaching out to members of the campus community to provide counseling and assistance as needed through the Counseling Center at (208) 885-6716.