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Background: The West Des Moines, Iowa, neighborhood where Nathan Norrell allegedly stabbed his mother (Google Maps). Inset: Nathan Norrell (Dallas County Sheriff”s Office).
An Iowa resident has been taken into custody following allegations that he attempted to murder his mother after she denied him the use of her speaker.
On February 28, Nathan Norrell, aged 21, was apprehended on charges of attempted murder, just hours after authorities from the West Des Moines Police Department reported that he had attacked his mother at their West Des Moines residence. Despite her injuries being non-life-threatening, she informed the police of her belief that her son intended to kill her. Court records reviewed by the local ABC station WOI revealed that the mother, whose identity remains undisclosed, expressed to the authorities her fear for her life.
WOI detailed that the court documents indicated Norrell had been drinking heavily on the evening of February 28. At one point, he requested access to his mother’s speaker for use in the bathroom, which she denied. Subsequently, police allege that Norrell waited inside the bathroom armed with a large, fixed-blade knife and ambushed his mother as she entered, inflicting a neck wound. She also received defensive injuries on her hands.
As she tried to administer first aid in the kitchen, Norrell allegedly pursued her. He then fled the premises when she called for emergency assistance. Law enforcement reported that Norrell subsequently took an Uber to his grandfather’s residence before surrendering at the local police station.
The court documents further reveal that Norrell’s mother reiterated her fear for her life, asserting that she believed her son was intent on murdering her. She described the neck injury as “deliberate” and recounted finding her son unconscious with a knife beside him in a bedroom just two weeks prior.
When Norrell was questioned by police, he claimed that he blacked out as a result of alcohol and other medications and could not remember what happened.
Online court records showed a long list of charges against Norrell, mostly traffic infractions that have been resolved. In December 2025, he was charged with attempted burglary, a felony, and misdemeanor disorderly conduct and interfering with official acts. Those cases are ongoing.
Norrell was charged with attempted murder and going armed with intent. He was booked into the Dallas County Jail where he is being held on $750,000 cash bond. A no-contact order was issued during a hearing on Sunday. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 10.