Axe-Wielding Son Murders Mom in Chilling New Year's Crime
A petty argument turned into a gruesome nightmare when a 23-year-old Florida man decapitated his mother with an axe on New Year's Eve 2014. The chilling murder left a Tampa-area neighborhood in shock. What would drive a son to commit such a monstrous act?
A Chore That Ended in Bloodshed
Maria "Pia" Suarez Cassagne, 48, was found decapitated next to her own trash cans in Oldsmar, Florida. Her son, Christian Gomez, accused of swinging the axe that killed her — and all because she asked him to move some boxes into the attic.
Apparently, she had been "nagging" him for two days to complete this chore, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told CNN, according to Fox13 News.
That's all it took for Christian to snap. He carried out the brutal killing in their garage, repeatedly striking his mother with the axe before severing her head.
The Gruesome Aftermath
After killing her, Christian placed his mother's head in a garbage can and attempted to discard her torso. Unable to lift her body, he abandoned it in the driveway and fled on a bicycle, according to Fox13 News.
It was Pia's older son, 27-year-old Mario Gomez, who made the shocking discovery. Hearing strange thuds outside his room, Mario walked out to find his mother's lifeless body and immediately called 911.
Law enforcement officials were horrified by the scene they encountered. "This whole circumstance is probably one of the worst, certainly, that we've ever seen ... it's terrible," Sheriff Gualtieri said, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times.
Deputies apprehended Christian just 30 minutes later in a nearby neighborhood with blood stains on his socks. He admitted to the killing and acknowledged knowing it was against the law, and he shouldn't have done it, Sheriff Gualtieri said, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
A History of Trouble
This wasn't Christian's first run-in with the law. Authorities revealed that he has had run-ins with the police about 30 times for minor offenses such as disorderly conduct and loitering. Christian had also spent years battling schizophrenia, isolating himself from his family and resisting treatment.
In the months leading up to the murder, his behavior had become increasingly erratic, including skinning and burying the family cat, and sleeping in the living room to avoid voices he claimed came from under his bed.
Desperate Pleas for Help
Pia did everything she could for her troubled son. Unable to afford private care and faced with limited state resources, she tried managing Christian's condition on her own. She crushed his medications and mixed them into his food, but Christian often refused to take them, accusing her of poisoning him.
Over the years, Pia contacted countless therapists, psychiatrists, and state agencies, all in search of long-term treatment. Despite her efforts, no lasting solutions were offered.
"Nobody could help us," Maria Jose Gomez, Christian's younger sister said, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. "They didn't take the time to really look at Christian and figure out what was wrong with him."
The Consequences of a Broken System
Even after the murder, the system failed to address Christian's condition fully. While he spent three years in a state mental hospital, he was ultimately declared competent to stand trial in July 2018. Facing a potential life sentence, Christian accepted a plea deal for 25 years in prison followed by 10 years of probation and treatment. With time served and potential early release, he could be free in as little as 20 years.
A Family's Lingering Fear
For the Gomez family, the plea deal brought little solace. Christian's uncle, Mario Suarez, voiced concerns about his potential release: "So maybe he gets out in 20 years. What happens after that? Where is he going to go? His sister is afraid of him, I mean terrified," Suarez said, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times. "They say they'll monitor him for 10 years and make sure he takes his medicine. He's not going to take his medicine. Everybody just washed their hands of him."
Christian Gomez's brutal killing of his mother shocked the nation and revealed years of struggles with untreated mental illness. As he serves a 25-year sentence, his family continues to grapple with the aftermath of one of Florida's most gruesome crimes.
References: Son decapitated mother over 'nagging,' Florida sheriff says | Sheriff says Oldsmar man killed his mother with an ax | 'How could he be found competent after what he did?'
