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Inset: Jason T. Whitaker (Lake County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The Indiana street where Whitaker allegedly attacked his parents (Google Maps).
In Indiana, a 44-year-old man faces accusations of brutally stabbing his father to death and severely wounding his mother following a dispute over adjusting the furnace temperature, according to authorities.
The accused, Jason Whitaker, has been charged with multiple offenses, including murder, attempted murder, and aggravated battery. He also faces two counts each of domestic battery using a deadly weapon and battery resulting in serious bodily harm, related to the assault on his 74-year-old father, Orell Whitaker, and his mother, officials confirmed.
The Merrillville Police Department reported that officers responded to an emergency call around 2 a.m. on Sunday from the 7400 block of Hendricks Street. A 911 caller had alerted authorities to the stabbing incident, stating that “her and her husband were being stabbed.” Upon arrival, officers found Jason Whitaker leaving the house with his hands raised, leading to his immediate arrest without further conflict.
Inside the home, additional officers attended to the victims. One was transported to Franciscan Health in Crown Point, where they were listed in “stable, but critical condition,” while the other victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have clarified that the incident was isolated, posing no further threat to the community.
Court documents, as reported by the Chicago Tribune, shed more light on the alleged attack and its preceding events.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the incident began when Jason Whitaker’s mother asked him — not for the first time — to stop turning off the furnace in the basement. He allegedly responded by violently attacking her.
The mother told police she was on the basement stairs when Jason Whitaker struck her in the head with a cast iron skillet before stabbing her multiple times. That is when Jason Whitaker’s father reportedly intervened on behalf of his wife.
While Orell Whitaker’s intervention allowed his wife to escape up the stairs and call 911, Jason Whitaker allegedly stabbed his father multiple times, ultimately killing him.
The mother told investigators that when she peered back down the stairs, she saw Jason Whitaker holding his father by the feet and dragging him along the basement floor. The 74-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene and his death was ruled a homicide.
Jason Whitaker’s mother suffered “extensive injuries,” including multiple stab wounds and a fractured skull that required a metal plate to be surgically placed in her head.
According to the affidavit, when Jason Whitaker let police in through the front door, he was holding a bloody knife — the same knife police believe he used to kill his father.
When questioned, Jason Whitaker allegedly admitted to police that he stabbed his father in the neck and stomach about four times, the Times of Northwest Indiana reported, citing court documents.
The mother told police that she and her husband had previously kicked Jason Whitaker out of their home, but decided to let him return after he ran up high hotel bills.
A relative reportedly informed authorities that Jason Whitaker suffers from schizophrenia.
During an interview with police, Jason Whitaker reportedly made a series of claims, alleging his parents confined him in the basement and engaged in criminal activity. Police said there was no evidence supporting any of Jason Whitaker’s assertions. He further claimed that the attack on his father was in self-defense.
Jason Whitaker remains in custody at the Lake County Detention Center without bond. It was not immediately clear when he was scheduled to appear in court.