Sunfield Township man who killed mother with sword sent to prison
CHARLOTTE — A Sunfield Township man who killed his mother with a sword in April 2020 was sentenced Thursday to a minimum of 25 years and maximum of 60 in prison.
Eaton County Circuit Court Judge Janice Cunningham sentenced Robert Shepard on one charge of second-degree murder. Court records show the man pleaded guilty, but mentally ill, on Sept. 9 this year.
During a hearing that led to charges being filed, Eaton County Sheriff's Office Detective Troy Gardner testified that Shepard immediately admitted to killing his mother, 56-year-old Cheryl Fox, when arrested by Grand Ledge police one day after Fox died on April 25, 2020.
When officers asked him if he knew what was going on, the detective testified, Shepard said he assumed it was because his mom was murdered. Gardner said the officer asked Shepard why he would think that and he said, "I did it."
Gardner testified Shepard told police he had been hearing voices of ex-girlfriends, and he thought about killing his mother, with whom he lived at a home in 10000 block of North Clinton Trail, for an hour the previous morning as the voices hyped him up. He added his mother had been torturing him in the previous three weeks, calling him a homosexual and using other derogatory language. Shepard said he began to think his life would be better if Fox was dead.
More:Police: Eaton County man killed mother by striking her with sword at least 20 times
He struck Fox at least 20 times with the sword, continuing even after she told him to stop because he was going to kill her, Gardner testified.
A relative called police April 26, 2020, after going to check on Fox. The woman told police she could see Fox lying on the floor, Gardner testified. The relative told police she believed Shepard may have hurt Fox, and that he has had mental health problems in the past.
Contact reporter Jared Weber at 517-582-3937 or jtweber@lsj.com.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Man sentenced to 25-60 years in prison for killing mother with sword
