87-Year-Old Doctor Murdered by Grandson in 4 a.m. Attack
A Maryland man walked into a police station and confessed to a crime straight out of a horror film — he'd hidden in a closet for hours before ambushing and killing his 87-year-old grandmother in the middle of the night.
A Sunday Morning Confession
Around 8 a.m. on Sunday, March 30, 2025, Spencer Dillon Hamilton, 27, entered the Rockville City Police Station and told officers he had just murdered a family member. Officers rushed to a home on the 12600 block of Tribunal Lane in Potomac, Maryland, where they found Dr. Pauline Yvonne Titus-Dillon, 87, unresponsive in the bathroom.
The elderly woman, a retired Howard University Hospital physician, had suffered visible trauma. First responders attempted life-saving efforts, but nothing worked. She died in the home she had shared with her grandson.
Lying in Wait
According to charging documents reviewed by PEOPLE, Hamilton admitted that he hid in his grandmother's bedroom closet while she showered. Around 4 a.m., when she stepped out of the bathroom, he launched the fatal attack. He told police he stabbed her in the back and head, punched her in the face, and strangled her with his hands.
After the attack, Hamilton allegedly moved her body to the bathroom, attempted to clean up the scene, and then stole her credit cards, cellphone, and laptop before leaving. When police arrested him, he still carried the weapon they believe he used in the attack.
No Clear Motive, Just a Shocking Loss
Authorities have not identified a motive, and the senselessness of the killing has left the community stunned. The court ordered a psychiatric evaluation before moving forward with charges. On April 1, 2025, a judge ruled Hamilton incompetent to stand trial.
He now remains in the custody of the Montgomery County Correctional Facility and will undergo treatment instead of facing prosecution — for now.
A Life of Purpose, Ended by Violence
Dr. Pauline Titus-Dillon wasn't just a beloved grandmother. She broke barriers as one of the few Black women to graduate from Howard Medical School in the 1960s. She later became an associate dean, mentoring countless students and advocating for better access to care.
"She was a brilliant woman. Just a great, great person," said family friend Nicole Cutts, as reported by PEOPLE. "She came up at a time when there were not a lot of women in medical schools."
The Washington Post also noted that she graduated from Howard Medical School in 1964, decades before many medical institutions fully opened their doors to women of color.
What Happens Next?
All legal proceedings remain on hold until doctors determine whether Hamilton can participate in his own defense.
For now, the case serves as a gut-wrenching reminder of how untreated mental illness and family trauma can end in tragedy. It also leaves a community grieving a woman who spent her life healing others — only to die in one of the most heartbreaking ways imaginable.
References: Md. Man Hid in Grandmother's Closet — Then Killed Her When She Came Out of the Bathroom, Say Police | Grandson found incompetent to stand trial after confessing to murder of grandmother, police say | Grandson accused of killing 87-year-old retired doctor in her Potomac home
