A homeless man has been arrested after stabbing to death a mother of four who tried to help him get back on his feet, police say.

Authorities charged Terry Dunford, 40, on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Jeanna Leslie, 49, the Daily Mail reported.

Police found Leslie’s body in her downtown Denver apartment Tuesday after her ex-husband filed a missing persons report.

Investigators say Leslie suffered multiple stab wounds and found several knives at the crime scene with blood on them, along with other pieces of evidence linking Dunford to the murder.

A law enforcement affidavit states that authorities recovered Dunford’s wallet and other belongings at Leslie’s apartment.

Surveillance video showed the two of them going into and leaving a liquor store February 7.

Leslie, who worked as a substitute teacher, moved to Denver in November 2017 from San Antonio, Texas, to be closer to her two teenage children.

Leslie’s ex-husband reported her missing February 13 after she did not pick up her son and daughter to drive them to their basketball game.

Police broke down the door of her third-floor apartment after midnight and found her body in the bathroom, where it had been decomposing for six days.

Leslie’s neighbor described the stench coming from the apartment as “undeniable,” CBS Denver reported.

Leslie’s eldest daughter, Brittany, speculated that she ran into Dunford outside her apartment and decided to help him out of pity.

“She was a very open person,” Brittany told KDVR. “She made friends with everyone.”

The daughter claimed that Dunford wanted to move into her mother’s loft with a friend of his and sent her threatening messages after she refused.

Police tracked Dunford down and arrested him Friday night, charging him with first-degree murder.

Dunford had served in the U.S. Navy and struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues for years, the suspect’s family told 9NEWS.

Relatives say he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder but had a sweet disposition and loved to write poetry.

They added that he once worked as a counselor in Hawaii specializing in anger management, addiction, and domestic violence at a Christian program.