Court documents state Jonathan Eric Neill used a hammer, a wooden pole and an unknown object to bludgeon his mother, Janet Redling, to death. According to court records, police say they received a call on May 22 from Neill saying he found Redling unresponsive in the bathtub at a residence in the 2100 block of Pech Road in northwest Houston.
Police say Neill told them that his mother was an alcoholic and passed out on the couch and he tried to wake her by hitting her with a claw hammer on her knees. He says he then carried her to bathtub and ran cold water on her in an attempt to wake her up, according to police.
According to court documents, police say Neill later admitted to them that he cut his mother with a knife behind her ear to shock her into waking up and claims he accidentally hit her with his elbow.
Neill claimed to police to be bipolar and on medication and said he took drugs and drank beer and couldn't remember what happened, police say. Court records allege Neill told police he fell asleep after putting Redling in the bathtub and later woke to find her face down.
Neill, 20, is charged with murder. He is jailed on $50,000 bond and is due in court on Friday.
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