A 60-year-old woman was found dead in Mattoon, Illinois, on the morning of February 7, leading to a homicide investigation. The victim, who had suffered blunt force trauma to her head, was discovered by officers at 9:04 a.m. in the 2900 block of Oak Avenue.
Mattoon police quickly identified the victim’s son, 31-year-old Douglas R. Reed, as a person of interest in the case. By 10:46 a.m., Reed was located in Moultrie County and brought in for questioning. During the interview, Reed admitted to striking his mother multiple times in the head with a hammer in the early hours of February 7. After the attack, Reed reportedly fled the scene in his mother’s vehicle.
Reed has since been charged with first-degree murder and is currently held at the Coles County Safety and Detention Center. The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to gather details surrounding the tragic incident.
