A Palm Coast man was arrested and charged Wednesday afternoon in connection to the death of his 88-year-old mother, deputies said.
Richard Guyton Mathews, 62, was arrested on a manslaughter charged after deputies said he killed his mother, 88-year-old Mary Shaw Mathews.
Richard Mathews reported that he found his dead mother inside their Ellsworth Drive home in Palm Coast on Feb. 21, 2014.
Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies and paramedics responded to the home just before 7 p.m. where they found the woman seated in a chair in the living room. There were no apparent signs of trauma to the body, deputies said.
Deputies contacted the woman's primary care physician who advised that he would sign the death certificate. Deputies then assisted family members in arranging for removal of the body.
Several days later, an employee of Lohman Funeral Homes, in Palm Coast, contacted detectives and told them that during a meeting with Richard Mathews to discuss funeral arrangements, the son -- who was reportedly "highly intoxicated" -- broke down and conveyed to them that his mother had asked him to kill her.
The son then told the funeral employees that he first tried to kill his mother by strangling her, and that he was unable to go through with her request. Richard Mathews then said he gave his mother sleeping pills.
After learning of the new information, detectives contacted the Medical Examiner's Office based out of St. Augustine to conduct an autopsy of Mary Mathews' body.
Following the examination, it was ruled that Mary Mathews died by strangulation. Toxicology results showed high levels of several medications present in her body.
Detectives contacted Richard Mathews. He agreed to speak with them about his mother's death and his statements to staff at the funeral home. During questioning by detectives, Mathews made statements consistent with the autopsy results.
Mathews was transported to the Flagler County Inmate Facility, where Thursday a judge ordered be kept there on $250,000 bond.
Back on Ellsworth Drive, neighbors aren't sure what to think. Ed and Peggy Fried lived next door and says Mary Mathews' health began deteriorating since her husband passed away about five years ago. Yet Peggy Fried says, "we knew that she was frail but you can be frail and still get up and go drive and do whatever."
As for Richard Mathews, the Frieds feel a little betrayed. Says Ed Fried, "we all commiserated with him and shook his hands, said 'sorry'. Little did we know..."
"What must have been going on in his mind," Peggy Fried added, "knowing what he had done and still getting the sympathy from the neighborhood, I think that's the... I don't know what's more shocking."
Commander Bob Weber with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office tells us the law is the law and investigators had to make the arrest but that there are resources available to people who may find themselves in similar situations, saying "when that happens, it's important that they reach out to somebody, whether it's law enforcement or it's a mental health practitioner, whatever it may be, to try to get some guidance and try to stabilize the situation as best as possible."