Donald Arndt beaten with baseball bats in grisly scene the night of his murder: court documents

WASHINGTON - D.C. police detectives were greeted by a grisly scene the night they responded to Donald Arndt’s home the heart of Cleveland Park for a reported domestic incident.

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When they arrived at the home in the 3300 block of Newark Street, Northwest they found Arndt beaten badly, and two bloody bats on a bed, along with blood spattered on the sheets, the ceiling, the walls, and other household items.

According to police, the 54-year-old man died after emergency crews tried repeatedly to save him.

Police talked to Arndt’s son, 28-year-old Christian Arndt, who told them he’d beaten the man with a metal baseball bat – striking him first in the head, and then everywhere else.

According to Christian’s mother – and the victim’s wife – she’d taken one bat away from him, but when she went to call 911, he’d found another and resumed beating the man.

She told police both men had drinking problems, and they became paranoid when they were drunk.

She also said Arndt had been abusive to everyone in their family – both physically and verbally – noting that when she reported it to the police, they told him to "go for a walk."

Christian Arndt told detectives that his father repeatedly called him a "loser" after he was fired from a local law firm.

According to his mother, Arndt had just been released from a rehab clinic before incident.

She also told investigators that Arndt had been given a drug while he was in rehab, and she believed it had an adverse effect.

Investigators found empty liquor bottles throughout the younger man’s drawers, and also in his laptop bag.

Arndt is facing a second-degree murder charge.