Man, 22, accused of killing his mother sobs in Houston court
HOUSTON -- A 22-year-old Houston man charged with fatally stabbing his mother has spent much of a brief court appearance sobbing and wailing after seeing relatives in the courtroom.
Blake Jefferson is charged with murder for the slaying last week of his 48-year-old mother, Dedre Jefferson, at their home. She was vice president of the Alief Independent School District board and an ex-teacher.
Authorities said the woman was talking to her own mother on the telephone early Friday, then screamed that her son was stabbing her.
Authorities found Dedre dead in the garage of her southwest Houston townhome, and Blake Jefferson was found hiding in a neighbor’s closet, reports CBS affiliate KHOU.
As he was led handcuffed Monday into a courtroom, he sobbed and doubled over, then put his hand over his heart and cried more as he signed a court document. He then wailed while being escorted from the courtroom.
Friends and family told the station the man had been acting strangely recently. Police reportedly believe Blake was on drugs at the time of the murder.
“The family is deeply saddened and shocked and at this time and we’re in search of answers,” family attorney and longtime friend Toni Jones told KHOU. “She’s a mother, a daughter, a cousin, an aunt. Everybody loved Dedre, Dedre loved everybody.”