Tyler James Dazey murdered his mother, Jennifer Ann Dazey, at her home in Dubuque, Iowa, say police. (Mug shot: Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office)
The man charged with brutally murdering his mother, who he allegedly accused of witchcraft, laughed at his bond hearing.
It was “always a pleasure,” the defendant, Tyler James Dazey, 28, told Iowa District Associate Judge Mark Hostager on Friday at the end of his video appearance from jail, according to The Telegraph Herald.
He had told police in Dubuque, Iowa, that his mother, Jennifer Ann Dazey, 46, practiced witchcraft against him, but he invoked his Miranda rights when investigators asked about her injuries, state documents obtained by the Herald and Waterloo NBC affiliate KWWL.
The defendant is charged with first-degree murder and animal abuse causing death. Bond is set at $2 million cash-only. He remains at the Dubuque County Jail, records show.
Police said a friend of Jennifer found her dead Thursday morning at the victim’s home on 1600 bock of Avoca Street.
Police encountered a grisly scene. Jennifer Dazey sustained “numerous” and “significant” lacerations to her face, neck, and head. Two of her fingers had been severed.
The family dog was dead on the living room sofa, having sustained injuries to the head.
Officers found Tyler Dazey naked in his bedroom, “not overly responsive,” according to documents.
Police claimed to find a tactical tomahawk in a bathroom and its sheath on the dining room table. They did not say whether it was the murder weapon — they sent it and other evidence to the state crime lab for more testing, they said.
Officers said they spoke to Tyler Dazey after his release from the hospital, and they claim he said he owned a tomahawk. The defendant allegedly said his mother was in bed doing witchcraft, and that she had been using it against him for years.
Defendant Dazey invoked his Miranda rights when police asked about his mother’s injuries, according to cops.
