A Linton man has been charged with murder, arson, obstruction of justice, and killing a domestic animal after allegedly killing a man, setting his house on fire, and photographing the graphic aftermath on his cellphone, according to Indiana State Police.

Brandon Adam Christopher Lee Criss, 39, was arrested early Sunday morning after police say he confessed to multiple witnesses that he killed 64-year-old James “David” Higar inside Higar’s home on Southeast D Street in Linton. Higar’s body was found with severe lacerations, and a dog he had been pet-sitting also died in the fire, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Police were initially called around 1:24 a.m. on June 8 for a house fire. First responders discovered Higar deceased in the bathroom, with visible injuries not consistent with the fire, according to the affidavit filed Tuesday in Greene County Circuit Court.

A red 2000 Mercury Sable registered to Higar was found locked in the driveway. Witnesses told police that Criss, who had been staying nearby with his fiancée, returned home “covered in blood” and showed a photo of what appeared to be Higar’s nude, bloody body on a cellphone, while bragging about the killing.

Criss allegedly admitted to multiple people, including his fiancée and her housemates, that he killed Higar. He was also captured on security footage at a Sunoco gas station shortly after the fire, appearing distressed and attempting to discard a brown Carhartt jacket and large knife — the jacket was later recovered from a nearby dumpster.

According to police, Criss initially waived his Miranda rights and denied knowing anyone named “James” Higar before later acknowledging the victim as David Higar, a man he said frequently helped him and was “like a father-in-law.”

Criss’s cellphone, accessed by investigators using a passcode he provided, contained a deleted image matching witness descriptions. Metadata showed it was taken at 12:06 a.m. inside the crime scene’s coordinates.

A witness told police that Criss had been drinking heavily after working a yard sale earlier that day. She said Criss bought a large knife from his boss and left the house after the pair argued. She later learned of the fire and Criss’s alleged confession.

In interviews with police, Criss made conflicting statements about his whereabouts that night, claiming he was with another woman, and later told officers the case against him was a “hate crime” against Higar, whom he accused of being a child molester.

Criss was formally charged with one count of murder (Level 1 felony) and is also facing charges of arson (Level 4 felony), obstruction of justice (Level 6 Felony) and killing a domestic animal (Level 6 felony).

He remains held at the Greene County Jail and is scheduled to appear in Greene Circuit Court on June 10.