A North Carolina man accused of murdering his mother and attempting to murder his father will soon find out his fate.
Jury selection in the Christopher McCullough trial began this week, and opening statements are expected early next week.
McCullough faces charges including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, larceny, violating a protective order, and assault, among others.
Officers responded to a home on the afternoon of August 6, 2023, to find John and Mary McCullough “suffering from serious injuries” after being beaten in their home, according to a Raleigh Police Department news release at the time.
McCullough was identified as a suspect and initially charged with assault, but was later charged with murder after his mother died several days later.
According to court documents, after allegedly beating his mother to death and rendering his father unconscious, McCullough kidnapped the couple’s dog and fled with his son in a stolen vehicle.
According to court documents, his 5-year-old son allegedly witnessed his father fatally beating his mother.
McCullough’s son, now six, will testify during the trial and could be the star witness for prosecutors.
The judge has agreed to allow the boy to testify remotely, and an order filed on April 25 states that a therapist will be present.
At the time of the alleged attack, McCullough was subject to a protection order obtained by the suspect’s father.
McCullough’s defense includes a claim of “voluntary intoxication,” according to a copy of the motion filed by his lawyer on March 31. This means McCullough purposefully drank himself to inebriation on the day he was accused of murdering his mother.
The voluntary intoxication defense addresses McCullough’s mental state at the time, not whether he did what he was accused of.
McCullough and his attorney have not stated how they intend to introduce or use this claim as a defense, but it is frequently used in murder trials to argue that a defendant had a diminished capacity at the time of the crime and thus did not kill with malice.