RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – A Raleigh man accused of severely beating his parents earlier this month is now charged with murder.
Raleigh police said Monday night that Christopher Gilbert McCullough was charged with murder in the death of Mary McCullough, 75.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said the woman is McCullough's mother.
"Certainly every homicide is tragic," Freeman said. "I think when it involves members of the same family, for many of us it's inconceivable when these things happen, certainly terrible, and we very much. our heart goes out to the family of this victim."
The murder case is linked to an incident on Aug. 6, when police reported an elderly woman and man suffered “significant trauma” when they were beaten and assaulted in a northwest Raleigh neighborhood.
Freeman said the father is still receiving medical care.
The incident was reported around 2:55 p.m. in the 5400 block of Ingate Way, which is in the Glen neighborhood off New Leesville Road, according to the Raleigh Police Department.
McCullough, 29, was initially charged with two counts of assault inflicting serious bodily injury and one count of felony larceny of a motor vehicle. Police said he was related to the victims.
On Monday, court records showed he was now facing a new murder charge in connection to the death of Mary McCullough. A charging document said there was premeditated malice in her killing.
Court records also showed Christopher McCullough was on probation and had a criminal history with several felonies.
He was also previously charged this month with larceny of a dog, second-degree kidnapping, protective order violation and probation violation in relation to the Aug. 6 incident.
McCullough is scheduled to appear in court on the new charge on Tuesday.