Son to be charged in Plymouth matricide

Mar. 14—NANTICOKE — A man jailed on domestic assault and firearm offenses is scheduled to be arraigned today for the brutal killing of his mother in Plymouth nearly three months ago.

Elliot Steed, 36, is charged with criminal homicide for the death of his mother, Ann Marie Murphy, 66, and theft for stealing her vehicle on Dec. 20, according to the Pennsylvania State Police at Wilkes-Barre and the Luzerne County District Attorney's Office.

Murphy was found dead inside her residence at 223 Gardner St., Plymouth.

An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Charles Siebert revealed Murphy died from multiple stab wounds and blunt head trauma, according to Coroner Jill Matthews.

Matthews ruled Murphy's death a homicide.

As previously reported, sometime after Murphy was killed, Steed fled Pennsylvania in his mother's vehicle and checked into a hospital in New Jersey under an alias, where he accused his family of trying to kill him.

Steed was later arrested as a fugitive by police in New Jersey on a warrant filed by Wilkes-Barre police on Dec. 20, charging him with terroristic threats, simple assault and illegal possession of a firearm for an alleged domestic disturbance with a woman at his residence on Mill Street, Wilkes-Barre, on Dec. 19, 2023.

Police in Wilkes-Barre in court records say they recovered a 9mm handgun loaded with 12 rounds at the Mill Street residence. A woman claimed Steed threatened her and told his mother to prepare funeral arrangements as Steed was going to kill the woman and himself on Dec. 19, court records say.

Steed is scheduled to be arraigned on the criminal homicide offense before District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke later today.