Son suffering from schizophrenia when he killed his mother found not criminally responsible

The death of a mother at the hands of her son was described as "tragic" by a Calgary judge, who found the 32-year-old not criminally responsible. 

Scott de Molitor, who suffers from schizophrenia, was found not criminally responsible after Justice Nancy Dilts ruled he was in a psychotic state at the time of the killing and could not understand that his actions were morally wrong. 

Audra De Molitor, 56, suffered head injuries on May 23, 2023, and died in hospital two weeks later. 

In her obituary, Audra is described as an "incredible wife, mother and grandmother" who loved children and was a "protective mama bear." She was athletic and loved to travel the world. 

Audra left behind a husband and another son. At the time of her death, Audra's family asked for donations to the Schizophrenia Association of Canada in lieu of flowers. 

Held at psychiatric centre 

Scott was charged with manslaughter but has been held at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre as medical staff worked to treat and evaluate his condition.

During a hearing earlier this month, defence lawyer Matt Browne as well as prosecutors Patrick Bigg and Pierre Grabinski asked the judge to find Scott not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder.

Dr. Ken Hashman, a forensic psychiatrist, authored reports and testified that Scott was experiencing hallucinations and delusions at the time of the killing. 

• Langdon man accused of killing his mother

Back in the spring of 2023, Scott and his brother lived with their parents in Langdon, a hamlet about 15 kilometres east of Calgary. 

In the days before Audra was injured, Scott "showed signs of paranoia and a disconnect with reality," said Dilts in her review of the evidence. 

He spoke of ravens that would not talk to him anymore.

Hearing voices

On May 23, Scott called 911 and told the operator that his mother was badly injured. He said he did not know what happened to her but he thought he had hurt her 

"I started hearing voices and I blacked out," he said. 

Scott suffers from chronic treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

He will continue to be held at a secure psychiatric facility. 

The Alberta Review Board will conduct a hearing in the next 45 days to hear from Scott's medical team for an update on his progress and treatment plan.