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In a chilling incident early Sunday morning, an Indiana man brutally attacked his parents, resulting in his father’s death and leaving his mother severely injured. The attack unfolded in their Merrillville home, leaving the community in shock.
According to reports from the Chicago Tribune, Jason Whitaker, 44, carried out this heinous act, which was brought to light when his mother made a frantic 911 call at around 2 a.m. She reported her son’s violent assault on her husband, pleading for immediate help.
Responding officers were met at the door by Whitaker himself, bloodied and still clutching the weapon used in the attack—an ominous sight that confirmed the gravity of the situation. Inside, they discovered his father, 74-year-old Orell Whitaker, lifeless, while his mother suffered from severe injuries, including multiple stab wounds and a fractured skull.
The tragic sequence of events reportedly began with a domestic dispute. Whitaker’s mother had asked him to stop interfering with the furnace in the basement, a request that seemingly ignited his violent outburst. In a fit of rage, he attacked her with a cast iron skillet before proceeding to stab her repeatedly.
Despite her grave condition, she managed to stagger upstairs and alert authorities. In a harrowing moment, as she turned back, she witnessed her son dragging her husband, Orell, by the feet, underscoring the brutality of the attack. The community grapples with the aftermath of this appalling incident, as authorities continue their investigation.
The enraged son came back upstairs and began trying to drag his mother back into the basement.
She was transferred to an Illinois hospital where she underwent surgery to install a metal plate in her head.
The woman told police that she and her husband had kicked their son out of the house but let him return when he ran up “hotel bills,” the court documents said.
Whitaker told police that his parents locked him in the basement, used crack and cocaine, and were sex traffickers. He said his father frequently walked around with a gun.
Investigators found no evidence of any of his claims, however. They did find a journal belonging to the suspect filled with “incoherent ramblings,” the affidavit says.
He said his mother was “belligerent” to him and claimed he “didn’t know what happened” until police arrived. Later he claimed he attacked his father in self-defence.
In addition to the knife he was carrying when he answered the door, police found two more bloody knives in the basement.
Whitaker has been charged with murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, two counts of domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon, and two counts of battery resulting in serious bodily injury. He’s being held without bond.