An Arizona resident, Aaron Morse, 51, has been charged with second-degree murder following the fatal shooting of his mother, Susan Morse, 74, on April 16. Court documents reveal that Morse dialed 911 after the incident, but then attempted to retract his call, stating that his mother was simply in her pottery studio.
Morse was reportedly outside his residence when he made the call to emergency services. He spoke with dispatchers, then asked if he could cancel his call, according to local CBS affiliate KTVK. The call was classified as an “unknown trouble call” in the court documents.
Morse also told dispatchers during the call that he and his mother had been arguing, but insisted that nothing was amiss and that she was in her pottery studio. However, upon arrival at the scene, police found Susan Morse with a gunshot wound to her head.
She was immediately transported to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Morse is alleged to have shot his mother, then unloaded the weapon and placed it in a Tupperware container. He did not provide any details to dispatchers about the argument he claimed to have had with his mother.
During Morse’s initial court appearance, prosecutors revealed his history with alcohol. Officers reportedly detected the smell of alcohol on Morse when they responded to the scene. When asked about the events leading up to the alleged shooting, Morse simply responded, “Arguing.”
Police also noted that Morse had blood on his hands and shoes. According to the documents, Morse inquired about the legal process he was about to face. When informed that a judge would make the decision, Morse reportedly responded, “Probably not. I have a heinous crime.”
Morse was subsequently booked into the Maricopa County Jail on charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.