HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) – Investigators say a son may have used a hammer to beat his 69-year-old mother to death in the garage of their Texas home.
Deputies say 69-year-old Eva Peavy’s stepson found her unresponsive around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at her Harris County home and called 911. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim’s son, 35-year-old Jarell Joseph, is charged with murder. Responding deputies say they found Joseph holding a hammer they believe he may have used to beat his mother to death.
“I’m not going to go into detail of the complainant’s injuries, but it is possible that that hammer could have been used,” said Sgt. Michael Ritchie with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Eva Peavy’s husband, Curtis Peavy, describes her as loving and hardworking. He was out bowling Wednesday night when he got a call from his biological son.
“He said, ‘Dad, you need to come home real quick. Jarell just did something to Mama Eva…’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘Got here. I just saw a body laying in the garage,’” Curtis Peavy said.
Joseph is Curtis Peavy’s stepson. He says the 35-year-old is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Joseph had previously been charged with assaulting his mother in 2016. The family thought he was back on track until the last few months.
“I saw the change in him. His whole mindset started changing, his demeanor and everything and so forth,” Curtis Peavy said.
Joseph is being held in the Harris County Jail on a $300,000 bond, according to online records. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
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