Schizophrenic Woman Fatally Stabs Mom, Chops Up Corpse Before Dumping It In Trash Bags

A schizophrenic woman who fatally stabbed her mother and dismembered her body before dumping it in trash bags will have to serve an indefinite term in a mental health unit.

Lucy Fox, 39, was convicted Wednesday for murdering her 65-year-old mother, Judith Fox, a retired nurse from Shropshire, England, in a frenzied attack on June 12, 2020. Lucy stabbed her mother because she was upset that Judith had put the family home for sale and she would have to move her things to storage, Shropshire Star reported.

Lucy was charged with murder and arson with intent to endanger life. However, the case was tried in Lucy's absence as the court found her unfit for trial. Judge Kristina Montgomery observed Wednesday that the public needs to be protected from Lucy whose mental condition is "consistent with a finding of paranoid schizophrenia."

Judith's missing came to light on June 14, 2020, after police responded to a fire at her house. No one was injured in the fire but the police started an investigation as Judith was not found at the address and there were splatters of bloodstains on the ceiling and kitchen, Birmingham Live reported.

The investigators found video evidence of Lucy buying a knife before going to her mother's house where she stabbed her. The police also found that Lucy used her mother's debit card to buy trash bags that she used to dispose of the body.

Investigators found out that Judith dismembered her mother's body before dumping the remains in the undergrowth in woodland close to the River Severn. The police recovered the remains around one month after Judith went missing.

When Lucy was arrested, she admitted that she killed her mother and set fire to the doormat of the house in an attempt to kill her brother who was at the address.

“This was a tragic and senseless killing that has left a family absolutely devastated by the loss of their mother, sister and grandmother in truly horrific circumstances and my thoughts remain with them at this incredibly difficult time. This was a challenging and complex investigation and I’d like to thank the investigation team for their hard work and commitment that has meant the Jury has reached the verdict it has today,” Mark Bellamy, a senior investigating officer, said, as quoted by Birmingham Live.