A New Jersey man is facing murder charges after police say he killed his mother over a dispute concerning a leg tattoo.
James Doran, 30, is accused of killing his 65-year-old mother, Lillian Doran, at a home in Blackwood on March 2. Police discovered the victim’s body in a bedroom with trauma to the back of her head.
When investigators arrived, the suspect had already left the home, but a witness told police that they heard “banging sounds and a garage door opening at about 4 a.m.,” according to an affidavit obtained by People.
“Witnesses stated that the previous evening, the victim and James Doran had argued about James Doran cutting a tattoo off his leg and walking around the house with a baseball bat,” the affidavit continued.
“Detectives noted that the victim’s vehicle was missing, and James Doran was no longer at the residence.”
Later that day, Pennsylvania state troopers spotted Doran driving his mother’s vehicle at a speed of 112 mph, around 200 miles away from the alleged murder home. He pulled over when he noticed a state trooper’s vehicle following him, but he reportedly jumped out of the car and ran into the woods.
Troopers captured the suspect following a short pursuit.
“The operator was covered in blood and was acting erratically. The operator refused to identify himself and the odor of alcoholic beverage was coming from his breath,” state troopers wrote in a report.
Police found a baseball bat inside the trunk of the vehicle, but it’s unclear whether the bat was used as a weapon in Lillian’s death. There were also several bottles of alcohol in plain sight in the vehicle, but Doran reportedly refused to allow a legal blood draw.
Doran was arrested and taken to the Bedford County jail in Pennsylvania, awaiting extradition back to New Jersey.
Along with murder, Doran is also facing charges of recklessly endangering another person, evading arrest, DUI, and reckless driving.
A judge ordered him to remain behind bars without bail. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Lillian and James Doran/Logan Funeral Homes; Bedford County Correctional Facility]
