- A 28-year-old Indian-origin man was charged with first-degree murder of his father in the US
- Abhijit Patel allegedly killed his father with a sledgehammer on Thanksgiving weekend
- Patel claimed it was his duty to kill his father and has a schizophrenia diagnosis
A 28-year-old Indian-origin man has been charged with first-degree murder by US authorities after he allegedly beat his 67-year-old father to death with a sledgehammer at their home in Schaumburg, Illinois. Abhijit Patel, who is accused of killing his father over the Thanksgiving weekend, had an active order of protection against him by his family but was still living at home at the time of the attack, according to US media reports.
According to Cook County prosecutors, victim Anupam Patel was found unresponsive and bleeding from the head in his bedroom by his wife shortly before 11 am on November 29.
About The Case
On the day of the murder, Anupam Patel's wife had left for work at around 5:42 am, leaving her husband and son alone at home.
The victim was not employed due to diabetes, and his glucose monitor was connected to his wife's phone, Patch news reported, citing court documents.
Typically, Anupam Patel called his wife at around 8 a.m., which he did not do on the date of the incident, to inform her of his blood sugar level. Seeing that her husband's glucose levels were dropping, she became worried but was unsuccessful in reaching her husband or son by phone.
His wife grew concerned when she did not receive Anupam Patel's usual 8:00 am check-in call and attempted to reach both her husband and son. Seeing her husband's glucose levels were dropping, she became worried and returned home around 10:30 am, where she found the garage door unusually open and her son saying he had "taken care of Dad" and she "should go check on him."
The woman found her husband lying in bed, covered in blood, and called the police.
Emergency responders arrived shortly and pronounced Anupam Patel dead. They found a sledgehammer at the scene.
Later, an autopsy determined that Anupam Patel had suffered at least two blows to the head, fracturing his skull and breaking his nose.
Abhijit Patel's Admission And Medical History
The victim's son, Abhijit Patel, surrendered as soon as police arrived. During questioning, he told police that he had a "religious obligation" to kill his father for allegedly molesting him when he was a child. He also admitted he was under medical treatment, and his doctors believe his claims against his father are "delusional".
Records show Patel has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was previously hospitalised for treatment.
Prosecutors told the court that Abhijit Patel admitted to bringing a sledgehammer to his father's room while he was lying in bed awake. He confessed that he struck his father with the sledgehammer multiple times, then put the weapon down next to him before leaving the room.
At the time of the murder, Abhijit Patel was prohibited from contacting his father, as he had made threats to kill him earlier, but was allowed by his parents to stay at home. The order of protection is active until January 2027.
Abhijit Patel is being held without bail and is prohibited from contacting his mother. His next hearing is scheduled for December 19.
