A man who was suspected to be under the influence of drugs has been accused of killing his mother in Renton.
King County prosecutors charged Sean Preston Lowe, 34, with first-degree murder after he called 911 about 2:08 a.m. Jan. 21 and told dispatchers that his mother was dead.
According to charging documents filed Jan. 23, when police arrived at the Liberty Square Apartments, 417 Williams Ave. S., they found Lowe’s mother, Leda Louise Files, 62, dead with marks on her body that indicated possible strangulation.
According to court documents, when officers arrived, Lowe was rambling something about having a seizure, and when he woke up, his mom was dead. Upon further investigation, court documents state that Files did not appear to have been deceased for long due to her body temperature, and marks on her body indicated there was a concern for possible strangulation or foul play.
Court documents state that police attempted to detain Lowe, but he began to pull his arms away from officers and started to kick his feet and legs. It then took multiple officers to detain Lowe in handcuffs. Officers noted that his behavior was strange, and they believed this could be due to mental illness or intoxication via drugs, according to documents.
Officers said in court documents that they noted a glass pipe about the size of a pen with a bulbous end as they entered the bedroom where Files had been found. The pipe had residue on it consistent with drug paraphernalia, and officers found two small baggies containing a white powdery substance.
The court documents said that officers attempted to speak with Lowe, but he was agitated and erratic and then said he was sorry. The detective speaking with Lowe noticed a small red splattering on the back of his jacket and a red stain on Lowe’s footwear, according to documents.
“When asked by dispatch if he should start CPR, he said that CPR would not be helpful,” court documents state. “The tone and calmness in which Lowe displayed during this 911 call was in stark contrast to the way he interacted with both patrol officers and investigators.”
Lowe was taken to the hospital, and while laying on a gurney, he said something about officers asking him questions, according to court documents. Detectives then told Lowe that they would not be asking him questions, and after a period of silence, Lowe said, “I killed my mother.”
The court documents state that according to the medical examiner, Files had a broken hyoid bone, broken ribs and a broken sternum. Additionally, it was believed that Files was smothered to death, with the cause of death being homicide.
Lowe is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Feb. 6 in the GA courtroom of the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.
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