Jamison Bachman is probably the worst of the roomies featured in Worst Roommate Ever – why else would Netflix dedicate two episodes to his story while the others got one? Netflix based his narration on a 2018 article by William Brennan detailing the horrors Jamison had inflicted on roommates up and down the East Coast.
Bachman had a pattern: he would pretend to be a wealthy and friendly co-tenant before unveiling his dark side, usually forcing the roommate to leave. Jamison targeted women seemingly because he could impose himself with his towering frame and legal knowledge. Bachman exploited loopholes in local laws that complicated his eviction regardless of his breaches of the tenancy agreement.
Jamison killed himself after killing his brother
Jamison’s last roommate, Alex Miller, drove him to the edge, prompting him to lash out in a fit of rage. The attack gave Miller cause to evict Jamison; she filed for a Protection from Abuse Order that called for Bachman’s eviction.
Authorities arrested Bachman and charged him with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault, and possession of an instrument of crime. Despite Jamison’s transgressions, somebody cared enough to pay his bail: his brother, Harry.
Harry also posted bail for another trial Jamison faced in Philadelphia for allegedly violating a court order and making terroristic threats. Jamison asked to live with Harry as he couldn’t return to Alex’s residence, but Harry’s wife Caroline refused, citing his criminal history.
Frustrated and angry, Jamison attacked his brother, killing him in cold blood. Harry was getting ready to drive to Saratoga, New York, when Harry showed up. The evidence showed signs of a struggle inside Harry’s early 20th century-style residence.
Police found Harry’s body on the basement stairs with an injury in the head and a cut ear. Police tracked Harry’s American Express card to a motel seven miles from his home, where they found and arrested Jamison.
The heaps of evidence linking Jamison to the murder left little doubt that prosecutors would secure a conviction. Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele planned to charge Jamison with first and third-degree murder, a common tactic used by prosecutors in the early stages of a case.
However, Jamison Bachman didn’t stand trial – he hung himself in his cell at the Montgomery County Prison.
Bachman assaulted Miller after she had a wild party at their residence
Alex Miller posted an ad on Craigslist searching for a roommate, to which Bachman responded using an alias dubbed Jed Creek. As was his norm, Bachman had a successful first meeting with Alex Miller.
Jamison told Alex that he was a lawyer needing a place to stay as he dealt with family issues in the area. He wrote Miller a check for $800, and as a bonus, his and Alex’s dog got along. He moved in the very next day with surprisingly few items for a legal scholar.
Bachman had agreed to share co-lessee responsibilities with Alex, but after settling, he showed no intention of fulfilling his obligations. He refused to pay expenses, including rent and utility bills.
Alex began questioning Jed Creek’s identity, and following a search, she found that her new roommate was Jamison Bachman, a serial squatter who’d terrorized roomies all over the East Coast. Miller also discovered that despite Jamison’s numerous breaches, local laws shielded him from eviction.
The living situation in Alex and Jamison’s residence grew worse by the day. He unscrewed lightbulbs from common areas for personal use; he used dining chairs to build a desk for his room; he violated Miller’s personal space; he kept a cat despite Alex’s allergy to felines.
“We agreed he would share the cost of paying the bills,” Alex said on Worst Roommate Ever. “Later, Jed would laugh at me when I asked for him to pay the bills. When he laughed, at me, it was sinister. It was demeaning. It was patronizing, like I was stupid.”
Alex resolved that Jamison needed to go; she would force him out if need be. Miller hosted a lengthy party at her house featuring three of Jamison’s pet peeves: smoking, drinking, and rap music. The festivity featured Jameson whisky, sending a clear message to Jamison that he was unwelcome at the residence.
Jamison responded by dumping cat litter into the toilet. The following day, a seething Jamison attacked Miller in the bathroom, choking her and stabbing her in the thigh. In doing so, he effectively signed his eviction notice.
Alex said she felt sad that Jamison’s story ended in murder and suicide. However, she felt a little relieved that she didn’t have to face the monster in court.
Jamison witnessed a murder in college that allegedly triggered his psychopathic tendencies
Per former acquaintances, Jamison was intelligent and charming; despite having a turbulent upbringing, Jamison appeared to have a bright future ahead of him. However, a murder he witnessed at Tulane University in New Orleans changed him.
In 1976, a friend of Jamison’s named Ken Gutzeit was murdered by student librarian Randell Vidrine at a frat house. Randell and Ken had previously feuded over Ken’s tendency to eat a sandwich in the library.
That night, Ken allegedly saw Vidrine heading home and tried to provoke a fight. Vidrine resisted and got home, only to return with a jackknife. He planted the knife in Ken’s neck, severing a major blood vessel. Ken bled to death as Jamison, and other students watched.
“I know it sounds incredible, but from what we understand, they never argued about anything else,” a police spokesperson said. “It was always about the sandwich.” Surprisingly, a grand jury voted not to indict Vidrine.
Bachman’s childhood friend Bob F. stated that the incident turned Bachman into a paranoid and dark individual. However, he noted that the murder and its effect on Jamison didn’t excuse his behavior.