A McKees Rocks man suspected in an April home invasion tried to make a deal with police by saying he had information about the 2015 killing of an elderly Kennedy man.

The man, Stephen Day, now faces homicide charges in that killing.

Thomas Nicholson, 81, was found dead in his bed June 16, 2015, with his hands and feet bound with an extension cord and a belt. He had died from an assault exacerbated by the ligature restraints, chemical burns and his history of cardiovascular disease.

Day was picked up April 6 by Robinson police in connection with a burglary earlier that day, according to the criminal complaint filed by Allegheny County police. Day told police he had information on a homicide “where an old man was beat and tied up” somewhere in Kennedy.

Day, 36, told several inconsistent stories about how he came to be aware of Nicholson's homicide. He first told detectives that three men he knew had gone to rob Nicholson's home the day of the homicide and, when they returned, were nervous and said “they needed to go back and clean up,” according to the complaint.

In a second interview with detectives days later, Day allegedly told other varying stories about what happened, ranging from he wasn't involved and the real killer had confessed to him to “that he may have been involved with the planning” of the burglary but not the homicide, according to the complaint.

“He trusted everybody,” neighbor Thea Justice said the day after Nicholson was found dead. She said she regularly checked in on Nicholson, who lived alone and often left his doors unlocked.

Day was already in the Allegheny County Jail on unrelated burglary charges filed in April. His criminal history includes at least three open cases for various burglary charges.

His criminal history stretches back to 2000 when he was charged with criminal attempt, criminal mischief, possession of an instrument of crime and loitering and prowling.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.

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