MACCLENNY, Fla. (AP) - A man is charged with second-degree murder after deputies found the body of his mother in her north Florida home.
News outlets reported that 44-year-old Joel Lee Weeks called the Baker County Sheriff's Office on Monday and told dispatchers he needed emergency medical help.
When deputies arrived at the home they found the hilt of a knife protruding from a wound in Weeks' stomach. Then they found the body of 66-year-old Rebekah Ann Osteen in one of the bedrooms.
Authorities didn't say how she was killed.
Weeks has two outstanding warrants from Duval County, including probation violations for DUI and domestic violence.
Weeks is recovering from his injuries in a Jacksonville hospital.
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Florida man charged with killing mother on New Year's Eve
BAKER COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - A man with a history of domestic violence tried to commit suicide after killing his mother inside her home in Baker County.
Joel Weeks, 47, is being charged with the murder of his mother, 66-year-old Rebekah Osteen.
On Monday, deputies responded to an apartment in Baker County in response to a suicide attempt.
Weeks called Baker County Sheriff's Office Communication Center and said that he needed emergency medical personnel to respond because he intentionally stabbed himself in the abdomen with a knife.
When deputies arrived on scene, they saw Weeks with the hilt of a knife sticking out from a wound in his stomach.
For their safety, deputies did a protective sweep of the home to ensure there were no other armed or injured people inside the home.
As deputies searched the house, they found the body of Weeks' mother. According to BCSO, the death did not appear to be from natural causes.
Deputies stated they have obtained a second degree murder warrant for Weeks for the death of his mother. In addition to that warrant, Weeks has two outstanding warrants from Duval County, including one for violation of probation for domestic violence against his mother.
Weeks is currently in a Jacksonville hospital recovering from his injuries. When he is released, he will be arrested and taken to the Duval County Pre-trail Detention Center.
Family members told deputies that Weeks had a history of violence toward his mother and were unaware that he was at his mother's home. The family also said that she moved to Baker County after the Duval County incident to get away from Weeks.
Baker County Sheriff’s Office Detectives are continuing to investigate the case for reasons that led to the incident.
