Dad Pummels Autistic Son With Sledgehammer, Stabs Wife To Death

A 64-year-old man in Catawba County, North Carolina, was sentenced to 40 to 50 years in prison for the murders of his wife and autistic son nearly three years ago, state prosecutors announced.

Warren Lee Raymond Sr. was convicted on two counts of second-degree murder before Catawba County Superior Court, WSOC-TV Channel 9 reported, citing the district attorney's office.

He pleaded guilty to killing his 55-year-old wife, Barbara Parker Raymond, and 30-year-old son with autism, Warren Lee Raymond Jr., on Sept. 13, 2018.

Raymond reportedly had blood on his hands when he went to the home of his neighbor, Mark Herbert, on the day of the killings and asked for 911 to be called. After calling authorities, Herbert, along with his sister-in-law and her husband, then went to the Raymonds' residence, where they discovered Barbara and the couple's son dead, a report by WBTV said.

Officers discovered Barbara on the floor of the living room with a knife in her abdomen and Raymond cradling her, according to the outlet. The son was found dead from apparent head trauma in the garage with a sledgehammer and crowbar near his body.

According to autopsy reports, Barbara had died from multiple sharp force trauma and multiple stab wounds, while the younger Raymond suffered multiple blunt force and sharp force injuries to the neck and head that led to his death. He also had an amputated finger.

"This is a horrible and tragic situation that appears to have been brought on by a gambling addiction," District Attorney Scott Reilly said in a statement.

Raymond Sr. was known to spend hours playing video poker at a local convenience store, where he used his disability payments to purchase lottery tickets, according to the statement. Prosecutors claimed Raymond Sr. also "depleted a sizable portion of money" from his couple's joint account with Barbara.

"I feel confident that as a result of this sentence, the defendant will spend the rest of his natural life in prison," Reilly said.

Raymond will serve his prison in the custody of the North Carolina Division of Adult Corrections, officials said.