A 53-year-old man faces an attempted murder charge after police say he tried to kill his elderly mother with a frying pan and pillows because he no longer wanted to care for her following a dementia diagnosis.
Keith Evan Woodward was arrested Sunday in Coral Springs following what investigators described as a brutal attack on his 82-year-old mother. According to a probable cause affidavit cited by WPLG, Woodward later told authorities he believed he was “going to hell” for his actions.
The incident reportedly began around 11:20 a.m. while the pair attempted to locate a phone number for a caretaker. After his mother went to her bedroom to lie down, police allege Woodward retrieved a frying pan from the kitchen, entered her room, and began striking her with it.
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Investigators say a “violent struggle ensued.” When the frying pan attack failed to incapacitate her, Woodward allegedly pinned his mother to the bed and attempted to smother her with pillows. The affidavit notes that the victim fought back, pushing, pinching, and screaming that she could not breathe.
The 82-year-old eventually managed to slide off the bed and escape the home. Woodward reportedly chased her briefly before stopping, overcome with guilt, and calling 911 on himself.
Police say the motive appears to be frustration over the victim’s health; Woodward reportedly admitted he wanted to end her life due to her “early dementia and need for constant assistance.”
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Emergency responders transported the victim to a local hospital. She was alert and conscious but suffered “severe bruising,” with doctors working to assess the full extent of her internal injuries.
Woodward remains in custody at the Broward County Jail and is being held without bond.
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