Micah Delaney (Travis County Jail)
AUSTIN, Texas - A homeless man is facing a first-degree murder charge for allegedly stabbing another after a fight at a camp in an Austin park.
30-year-old Micah Delaney has been charged in the July 26 death of 38-year-old Vincent Bort at Butler Metro Park.
What they're saying:
Court paperwork outlines what happened on Sunday, July 26.
At around 12:13 a.m., several 911 calls came in reporting that a man had been stabbed in the chest at Butler Metro Park at 401 Dawson Road.
Police, fire and EMS responded to the scene and found the man in a grassy area east of the parking lot with a stab wound to his chest. The man, identified as Vincent Bort, was pronounced dead at the scene just after 12:30 a.m.
Several witnesses on scene told police they heard rustling from the wooded area and a man saying "no weapons." Bort then came running out of the woods asking for help, saying he had been stabbed. When asked who stabbed him, Bort said what sounded like "Dagger."
At around 12:23 a.m., someone who identified himself as Micah Delaney called Austin 911 and said police had just been called to the park about someone who had been stabbed. He told 911 that he had been attacked in his camp and defended himself by stabbing him.
Officers found and detained Delaney on Guadalupe Street, near Austin City Hall. He was taken in for questioning.
Delaney admitted to police that he had stabbed Bort, saying that he had come to the wooded area where he and his friend were, according to the arrest affidavit. Bort then shined a light in his eyes and very aggressively told them to leave and that "he has something for them."
Delaney allegedly told police that the light was so bright that he couldn't see if Bort had a weapon, and that he felt he was in danger. Delaney said that as he and his friend were following Bort, he was blocking the only exit, making Delaney fear for his life.
He then told police that he grabbed a sculpting tool/knife and stabbed Bort once in the chest, the affidavit says. He then ran out of the wooded area and several Hispanic men in the parking lot chased after him. Delaney added that Bort did not try to rob him and there was no fight.
Police also spoke with Delaney's friend, who told them he was shocked and doesn't know why Delaney would do that. The friend told police that Bort had come to the wooded area looking for Delaney, yelling "Come on out, let's handle this; I'm tired of your s**t."
Bort and Delaney then began to argue, but neither made any physical threats, according to the friend. Delaney then walked towards Bort by the exit, and the friend heard Delaney shouting "back up, bro," then what sounded like a punch, and coughing. His friend then asked Delaney if he had stabbed Bort, to which Delaney allegedly said "Yes, I gotta get out of here, I gotta go."
The friend told police he did not see a flashlight or a weapon in Bort's hands, and he had heard Bort say "no weapons."
What's next:
Delaney is still in the Travis County Jail as of July 29.
Bond has been set at $100,000 and Delaney would be required to stay 200 feet away from the park, stay away and have no contact with his friend and possess no deadly weapons.
He had a court date set for August 11.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the Austin Police Department and Travis County court paperwork and records.