Authorities on Friday found a woman’s body ablaze at a home on the Massachusetts peninsula of Cape Cod, where they later arrested her son for murder, WCVB-TV reports.
Around 9:30 p.m. Friday, emergency crews responded to a home in the town of Truro after they received a welfare check request and a report of a fire.
When responders arrived at the house on Quail Ridge Road, they saw a man outside the residence and a fire burning on the front lawn.
“As the emergency personnel realized that it was a body that was burning, the male subject ran into the house and locked the door,” a joint statement reads from Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe and Truro Police Chief Jamie Calise, according to the television station.
The Cape Cod Regional SWAT Team was dispatched to the house and eventually went into the home, where they arrested 34-year-old Adam Howe.
Investigators believe the victim is Howe’s mother, Susan Howe.
Adam Howe is facing a murder charge and was set to undergo a mental health evaluation after investigators spoke with family members.
Video from the scene showed a large police presence, including officers from Truro and Wellfleet police departments and the Massachusetts State Police.
Susan Howe was president of the Truro Historical Society, according to CapeCod.com.
In response to the murder, the Truro Select Board, the towns’ governing body, issued a statement: “Our hearts are heavy with the news that we have lost a beloved member of our community, Susan Howe. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends at this time of tragic loss. We are following the lead of law enforcement as they investigate this tragedy and have no further comment at this time.”
Initial reports say this is the first homicide in the town in two decades after fashion writer Christa Worthington was murdered at a home along Depot Road home in 2002, CapeCod.com reports.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text “HelpLine” to 62640 or email helpline@nami.org. If in imminent danger, call 911.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured image: Adam Howe/Police handout]
