Background: News footage of the home where Patricia Blake was found dead on Dec. 26 (WPTV). Inset: Martha Jo Blake (Palm Beach County Sheriff”s Office).
In a tragic incident, a woman from Florida reportedly confessed to the police that she assisted her aging mother in taking her own life at the mother’s behest.
Authorities have charged 66-year-old Martha Jo Blake with first-degree murder following the discovery of her 97-year-old mother, Patricia Blake, deceased in their residence on December 26. According to a probable cause affidavit examined by Law&Crime, an autopsy determined Patricia’s demise to be a homicide. The examination uncovered indications of suffocation and potential strangulation, suggesting “something being placed on her face.”
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at Patricia Blake’s home on the morning of December 26. Martha Blake, present at the scene, initially claimed she last saw her mother alive the prior evening. However, her account shifted post-autopsy.
During the initial police interaction, Martha mentioned her mother had been battling Parkinson’s disease and a thyroid condition. With her primary healthcare provider based in Maine, Patricia’s case was referred to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office for further investigation. The examiner noted several aspects of Patricia’s body that contradicted a natural death.
The medical examination revealed no post-mortem blood pooling in Patricia’s nose, aligning with the suspicion of an obstruction placed over her face before she died. The autopsy also identified multiple areas of internal bleeding and petechiae in her eyes, cheeks, and mouth. Additionally, her neck exhibited a “fresh fracture” alongside hemorrhaging on both sides.
Police scrutinized body camera footage from the scene, noting Martha Blake’s insistence on remaining with her mother’s body throughout the process. Following the issuance of a search warrant for the shared residence, officers engaged Martha in a conversation inside a police vehicle. Although not under arrest, she voluntarily agreed to answer their questions.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Martha Blake told police that she had been her mother’s caregiver for the past five years. A year and a half prior to Patricia Blake’s death, both mother and daughter purportedly discussed “death with dignity” with the older woman’s primary care physician in Maine. Martha Blake said the doctor told them that Patricia Blake was not eligible because she was not suffering from a terminal illness.
Police said that Martha Blake seemingly decided to take matters into her own hands. She told police that she and her mother discussed “suicide by taking pills,” but they did not have anything on hand that was “lethal” enough. Martha Blake explained to police that her mother told her “she did not want to live, and has told her this many times.” After Martha Blake was read her rights, she maintained the same story.
Martha Blake was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. She is being held at the Main Detention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, without bond. Her next court date is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2026.
