An 18-year-old man decapitated his mother and then walked out the front door of her house holding her head in his hand while wielding a knife in the other, authorities said.
The suspect was charged with first-degree murder Monday after he called 911 to say he had killed his mother, according to a news release from the Franklin County Sheriff’s office. Authorities say he was arrested without offering resistance, and his 35-year-old mother’s body was found inside the home. District Attorney Mike Waters said officials were seeking a mental evaluation of the suspect. His public defender, C. Boyd Sturges III, said he spoke with him for an hour in the Franklin County jail.
“It does appear there’s some substantial mental health issues involved in this case,” Sturges said. “I’m not a doctor, so I can’t really elaborate. He’s a pretty profoundly disturbed young man.” Waters said due to the suspect’s apparent mental state, “this is something that’s going to take weeks and months for us to get some answers as to why this happened.” Waters said the suspect was being transferred to Central Prison in Raleigh. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 14.
Two young girls in the home were not hurt. A fourth child was in school when the attack occurred. Deputies were searching the home hours after the body was discovered. The exact names of the suspect and his mother were unclear. Local court records list the suspect’s name as Oliver Funes Machada, Sturges said.
Federal records list his name as Oliver Funes Machado, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox. In a news release, Cox said the suspect was from Honduras and was in the country illegally.
Franklin County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Terry Wright gave the mother’s name as Yesenia Beatriz Funez Machado, citing a spelling given to authorities by her 14-year-old son. Neighbor Leona Smith told WRAL-TV she was still trying to come to grips with such a horrible crime happening so close by.
