In the quiet community of Garfield, Arkansas, a devastating event unfolded on July 31, 2017, ending the life of 44-year-old Christel Malone. A nurse and homemaker, she was a mother to five children. On that Monday afternoon, law enforcement received a call from Christel's husband, reporting a shooting at their residence on Smith Ridge Road and alerting them that his son was mentally ill.
Upon their arrival, deputies discovered Christel Malone inside the home, lying on the bathroom floor with multiple gunshot wounds. Outside on the front porch sat her 20-year-old son, Patrick Malone. He was taken into custody as the suspected shooter in his mother's death.
During questioning, Patrick Malone admitted to shooting his mother. He recounted that while he was changing a baby's diaper, he began to think about past instances when his mother had called him names, which filled him with rage. He told investigators that when his mother walked back into the room, he shot her until the gun was out of bullets. He also disclosed that he had been contemplating killing his mother for five or six years. Patrick Malone was subsequently arrested and faced a charge of capital murder for the death of his mother, Christel Malone.
