US: 20YO Son Strangulates Mother For Eviction Notice To Clean His Room

In a tragic incident, a 20-year-old son strangulated his mother because she sent him an eviction notice. The 43-year-old mother, Shanelle Burns, served her son, Connor Kobold, an eviction notice citing that he must clean his room and help clean other common areas of the house. The notice further said that to avoid eviction, Kobold would have to get a job within 30 days. The notice was sent to Kobold on February 5 and on the same day, he strangulated his mother inside the house. The incident happened in Valparaiso Indiana, US. 

Son Kills Mother For Eviction Notice To Clean Room 

As per the reports, after strangulating his mother, Kobold called 911 five times. When the police responded he said that he "killed somebody... There is a dead person inside the house". The police immediately arrived at the spot and found a Burns body inside the home.

Burns was unconscious and had fatal injuries. She had ligature marks on the neck. Burns was immediately rushed to the hospital. However, after two days of treatment, she succumbed to the injuries and died. 

Police have termed the death as homicide with "asphyxiation secondary to manual strangulation". Kobold is currently in the custody of Porter County Jail. However, he has pleaded not guilty. 

Kobold's mental health issues history

Kobold has a history of mental health issues. He admitted to the judge that he was sent to two facilities and had seen at least five therapists, as per the New York Post and The Chicago Tribune. Kobold also said that he wanted to represent himself in the court trials saying that the “only person who can explain what happened and why it happened is myself”. However, the court denied it and assigned him a public prosecutor. 

Kobold was pursuing his degree in Science from the US Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island's Kings Point. Burns, on the other side, was an employee of Loyola University in Chicago in the Advancement Operations and Campaign Planning department. 

Condolences and obituary of Burns

According to reports, Burn's colleague Karen Paceiro said, "Shanelle was very witty, kind, and poised. She had an exceptional ability to both strategically design and execute; she was a trusted advisor to many within Advancement and so many across the University. We all miss her and profoundly mourn the loss to our division and the University.” 

Burn's obituary said, “Shanelle taught herself to play piano, classical of course, a hobby that carried on throughout adulthood. She also would journal voraciously, writing poetry and stories that showed her creative and organizational prowess.”

Burns loved travelling and had immense creativity. 

Kobold's trial is scheduled to be held in August.