Background: The West Des Moines, Iowa, neighborhood where Nathan Norrell allegedly stabbed his mother (Google Maps). Inset: Nathan Norrell (Dallas County Sheriff”s Office).
An Iowa resident has been detained after authorities alleged he attempted to murder his mother following a disagreement over the use of her speaker.
Nathan Norrell, aged 21, was taken into custody on February 28 for attempted murder, just hours after the West Des Moines Police Department reported he had attacked his mother at their residence in West Des Moines. Although she suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, she informed the police that she believed her son intended to kill her. Court documents accessed by WOI, a local ABC affiliate, reveal that the mother, whose identity has not been disclosed, expressed to the authorities her fear for her life.
According to WOI’s report, the court documents indicate that on the night of the incident, Norrell had been consuming alcohol excessively. He requested to use his mother’s speaker in the bathroom, but she declined. Authorities stated that Norrell then waited in the bathroom armed with a large, fixed-blade knife and attacked his mother when she entered, inflicting a stab wound to her neck and causing defensive injuries to her hands.
As per the police account, Norrell pursued her into the kitchen as she tried to address her injuries. He subsequently fled the scene when she dialed 911. Norrell is said to have taken an Uber to his grandfather’s home before surrendering to the police.
The court documents also detail the mother’s statement that she “feared for her life and believed that [her son] was going to kill her.” She noted that the neck injury seemed “intentional” and recalled a prior incident two weeks earlier when her son was found unconscious in a bedroom with a knife nearby.
When interrogated by the authorities, Norrell allegedly claimed that a blackout caused by alcohol and other medications left him with no recollection of the events.
Online court records showed a long list of charges against Norrell, mostly traffic infractions that have been resolved. In December 2025, he was charged with attempted burglary, a felony, and misdemeanor disorderly conduct and interfering with official acts. Those cases are ongoing.
Norrell was charged with attempted murder and going armed with intent. He was booked into the Dallas County Jail where he is being held on $750,000 cash bond. A no-contact order was issued during a hearing on Sunday. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 10.
