The harrowing cries of “mama” were the first indication that a tragedy had unfolded at the $1.9 million residence of antiques dealer Laura Williams in Connecticut. This somber scene has left the affluent community in shock.

Those cries belonged to 20-year-old Sebastian Van Stockum, Williams’s son, who now faces charges of murdering his mother. The incident has sent ripples of disbelief throughout their well-to-do town.

In a voice described as low and almost unintelligible, the distressed young man reportedly admitted to law enforcement that he had killed his mother on October 24 in New Canaan. He confessed to attempting to use a knife, a hammer, and his own fists in the act.

Raised in a world of privilege, Van Stockum seemed to have every advantage. His mother, Laura Williams, was a self-made millionaire, and his father, Dirk Van Stockum, is a distinguished restaurateur in New York.

However, friends have noted that there were troubling signs with the seemingly reserved young man. He often struggled with feelings of self-doubt, particularly due to being placed in a special education class at school. These undercurrents of distress now paint a haunting backdrop to the tragic events that unfolded.

A former classmate, who asked not to be named, told the Daily Mail of his sadness and shock at Williams’s murder, as well as his experience of Van Stockum being a ‘good’ but challenged kid when they were at school.

‘I don’t think it’s something he wanted to do,’ the former schoolmate said of the alleged killing.

‘I think it’s because his mental issues were bad, I think he had something in his head telling him to do it. But once he did it and reality set in for him… I know he regrets it because that’s why he called the police.’

Sebastian Van Stockum is seen on the evening of his high school prom. Late last month, he was accused of murdering his antiques dealer mother Laura Williams near the $1.9 million Connecticut home whose porch he is pictured standing on 

Williams lived with her son and worked out of her four-bedroom home as a high-end antiques dealer, according to her brother. She was a self-made woman who has been remembered fondly by loved ones 

Van Stockum called in his mother’s death, prompting cops to race to the Victorian home just after 10.30pm late last month. According to the arrest log, he told police ‘that he killed his mother’ and ‘did not want to live.’

Cops said they found Williams lying in the grass next to a bloodied hammer, suffering signs of blunt-force trauma to the left side of her head and a cracked skull. 

The 20-year-old former classmate, who did not wish to be named, said he would see Van Stockum every day at school because they shared ‘learning center,’ a special educational class for students who needed additional support. 

‘I was in that class because I needed extra help, but other kids had mental problems and needed help. He was one of those kids. 

‘You could tell he had some type of mental issue. I don’t know if he was schizophrenic or something,’ he said.

‘He did struggle making friends a little bit. He wanted to fit in but it was just hard for him to. I tried to make him feel comfortable.’ 

He described Williams’s death as just the latest tragedy involving his New Canaan High School cohort. ‘It’s definitely shocked me. I know three kids from that class, one of them committed suicide, one of them overdosed on pills and the other killed his mother. It’s crazy,’ the young man said. 

He went on to share that he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Van Stockum used cannabis, but added that he ‘didn’t know that side of him’ outside of school.

A profile under Van Stockum’s name was opened in the days before his mom’s death. It states that he was looking to move ‘now’ and wanted to find accommodation in the local area that was ‘cannabis friendly.’

Williams worked as an antique dealer and lived with her son at their $1.9 million home in the upmarket town of New Canaan. She was found dead in a wooded area near the home

Sebastian Van Stockum, 20, appeared in a white Tyvek jumpsuit in court on Monday

‘I did check off cannabis friendly but with a lot of deliberation of taking it easy and slowly down on the smoking, if little me was told to cut it out he would take it kindly but now I’m aware that it’s gotten my hands tied in old financial debt,’ the biography on the profile states. 

It remains unclear if Van Stockum was using the drug to an extent that may have further compromised his mental state.

Speaking to the Stamford Advocate, Williams’ brother told how she didn’t always see eye-to-eye with her only son.

‘They argued about what he should be doing, but she supported him in everything,’ David Williams said.

Van Stockum had previously lived with his maternal grandmother for about a year in his mom’s home state of Virginia, his uncle said, ‘but it didn’t work out.’ 

He described his sister as having been a ‘driven’ and ‘talented’ professional who had initially worked in the entertainment industry and lived in Los Angeles and New York before moving to her New Canaan home.

Williams raised her son full-time after splitting from his father, New York restaurateur Dirk Van Stockum.

But the elder Van Stockum continued to have a role in his son’s life, sharing a picture of Sebastian on the porch of his mother’s home before he went to his high school prom in 2023.

An old picture of Laura Williams shows her with her son Sebastian when he was a young boy

A profile on the roommate website Roomie under Van Stockum’s name was set up in the days before his mom’s death. He spoke of using cannabis recreationally 

A mugshot of the 20-year-old showed his face covered in blood and scratches after his arrest

The 20-year-old’s father, restaurateur Dirk Van Stockum, split from Williams years ago but saw his son regularly

Striking a pose and half-smiling for the camera, the then-18-year-old wore a top hat and leaned on a cane as he prepared to head to the school dance.

‘So proud of this Amazing guy, it’s not about your situation it’s about your destination my friend the world is yours enjoy it you deserve it,’ his dad gushed on social media. 

Van Stockum’s classmate recalled how the usually ‘socially awkward’ teen came out of his shell that night.

‘He was dancing at prom, it was a shock because we all looked at him as this introverted kid, not someone who would do something like that. 

‘No one else was dancing, it was just him. We were cheering him on, we tried to hype him up and make him feel good.’

Van Stockum’s schoolmate said that was the last time he saw the alleged killer.

‘He was a completely normal kid. When I heard that happen, it was just shocking, beyond shocking.’ 

Van Stockum’s father also described the events as a shock. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail Friday, he said he had not yet had a chance to meet with his son since his former partner’s brutal killing.

In a statement, his attorney Philip Russell said: ‘This was a terrible shock. Nobody anticipated this or foresaw this. 

‘At this point, there’s an awful lot of loose ends. All I can say is it would be premature for anyone to rush to judgement. Obviously, this is a tragic situation.’ 

Van Stockum is being held in court in lieu of $2 million bond until his next court appearance.