Mar. 14—NANTICOKE — Believing he was dying and his girlfriend was unfaithful, Elliot Steed stabbed and beat his mother, Ann Marie Murphy to death inside her Gardner Street, Plymouth, residence, according to court records filed Thursday.

Steed, 36, of Mill Street, Wilkes-Barre, then allegedly stole Murphy’s vehicle and drove to Flemington, N.J., where he checked himself into Hunterdon Medical Center claiming his family was trying to kill him.

Pennsylvania State Police at Wilkes-Barre and Luzerne County detectives charged Steed with criminal homicide and theft, nearly three months after Murphy, 66, was found dead inside her residence at 233 Gardner St. on Dec. 20, 2023.

Steed had been jailed on charges of terroristic threats, simple assault and illegal possession of a firearm by Wilkes-Barre police alleging he threatened his girlfriend inside their Mill Street house on Dec. 19, 2023.

Steed was arraigned by District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke and jailed without bail at the county correctional facility. Steed was represented by Attorney Demetrius Fannick at the arraignment.

“We really don’t have a motive,” Luzerne County First Assistant District Attorney Anthony Ross said. “The case is being investigated. The defendant did make some statements, so we are looking at those statements. The investigation continues and right now, the defendant is charged with criminal homicide.”

Murphy was found deceased on the second floor of her home by her son, Darrell Steed, just after 7 a.m. Dec. 20, 2023.

Darrell Steed then called 911 that prompted a response by Plymouth police and state police.

Court records say Darrell Steed told investigators his brother, Elliot Steed, had been acting crazy as Elliot Steed blamed his family for trying to kill him and his girlfriend being unfaithful.

Darrell Steed went to his mother’s house to check on her after Elliot Steed posted a disturbing message on Facebook in the early hours of Dec. 20, 2023, court records say.

An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Charles Siebert revealed Murphy died from multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma. Coroner Jill Matthews ruled Murphy’s death a homicide.

Investigators in court records say surveillance footage in the area of Gardner Street showed Elliot Steed driving away in Murphy’s vehicle, a Pontiac sedan.

Cellular phone records pinpointed Elliot Steed on Gardner Street between 1 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. Dec. 20, 2023, and driving to Flemington, N.J., court records say.

When Elliot Steed checked into the New Jersey hospital claiming his family were trying to kill him, police in Raritan Township responded to the medical facility. Elliot Steed used an alias at the hospital but police in Raritan Township learned he was wanted on a warrant by Wilkes-Barre City police for the alleged threat to his girlfriend on Dec. 19, 2023, according to court records.

While he was detained in Raritan Township, investigators interviewed Elliot Steed who claimed he was dying, his liver stopped working, and his family was trying to kill him.

Wilkes-Barre police in court records say they recovered a 9mm handgun loaded with 12 rounds inside Elliot Steed’s Mill Street residence where his girlfriend claimed he threatened her.