NORTH ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 29-year-old man is accused of killing his 69-year-old father with a hammer inside a North St. Paul home earlier this month, according to charges filed in Ramsey County.
Hammer attack at North St. Paul home
Jamal Jevonte Nash was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection with the incident.
The backstory:
According to a criminal complaint, North St. Paul police officers responded at about 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 to the 2700 block of Chippewa Avenue after a 911 caller said her son had hit her 69-year-old husband in the head with a hammer.
The complaint says officers found the caller holding a bloody towel, who then led them to the victim who was unresponsive, bleeding heavily and had brain matter protruding from the head wound.
Timeline:
According to the complaint, the caller told officers Nash had moved into the home on Oct. 17.
On Oct. 18, she said the victim had set up a TV in Nash’s room and then went to the living room to unpack other items.
The complaint states that the caller then saw Nash run out of his room and swing the hammer at the victim. When they tried to grab it, the complaint says Nash hit the right side of the victim's head twice without warning or any argument beforehand.
Mental health details in complaint
The backstory:
The complaint says the caller told officers that Nash was diagnosed with schizophrenia five years ago. She said his medication changed in mid-September, and his behavior changed with stress, days without sleep, pacing, not eating and different moods.
They also told officers that Nash had never been aggressive or violent in the past and that he loved them. She said Nash had been taken to a hospital after a seizure, and that a doctor later called because the doctor wanted Nash to stay longer to determine whether his medication was affecting his behavior.
The complaint states Nash fled out the back door. Afterwards, they told him they needed to call 911.
After Nash’s brother spoke with him on speakerphone and family members learned where he was, officers found Nash and arrested him, according to charges.
What they're saying:
The complaint states that after officers advised Nash of his rights, he agreed to speak with them and said, "Someone was attacking my whole family." Nash later said, "I hit my father. He was holding me hostage."
The complaint says Nash also admitted hitting the caller’s head with a hammer twice when officers asked.
Officers recovered a hammer from the home.
What's next:
Court records show Nash is in custody on $1 million bail.
The Source: Criminal charges filed in Ramsey County Court.