Toronto man who killed his mom because 'he thought she was a zombie' gets absolute discharge
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Neil Williams, 55, was charged with second-degree murder for his mom's Nov. 5, 2013, death. But he was found not criminally responsible in the fall of 2014 on account of a mental disorder. Since the end of 2023, Williams has been living on his own, reporting regularly to a psychiatrist at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
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'The board finds that Mr. Williams no longer meets the threshold of posing a significant threat to the safety of the public and accordingly, he must be absolutely discharged,' according to a recent decision from the five-member panel.
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'He told the 9-1-1 dispatcher that he had stabbed his mother in the chest because he 'thought she was a zombie,'' said the decision.
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'Neil Williams was found by his mother's side attempting to perform CPR,' said the decision. 'Janet Williams was pronounced dead at the hospital.'
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Williams told investigators he 'was at home with his mother and father that morning,' said the decision.
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'He was feeling unwell and vomited. He was unable to take his medication for his bipolar disorder because he was feeling sick. He started to get paranoid thoughts. It felt as though someone was after him.'
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That feeling 'went away but returned after his father had left for work,' said the decision. 'He then got strange thoughts and paranoia about his mother. He remembered getting a knife. His memory got blurry after he got the knife. He vaguely remembered stabbing his mother. After he stabbed his mother the paranoid feelings went away and he felt dread.'
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Before his mother's death, Williams was living with his parents in a Toronto home, said the decision. 'He was unemployed and financially supported by them.'
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His mom was trained as a lawyer, but she stopped working after Williams was born and returned to employment when he was in his early 20s. 'Mr. Williams describes having had a positive relationship with his mother.'
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