AMMAN — Police on Wednesday said they have arrested a man suspected of killing his 71-year-old mother in Amman earlier in the day, official sources said.

 

Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said the victim was allegedly strangled and bludgeoned with a wooden stick inside the family home.

 

“The suspect fled the scene but was later arrested and referred to the Criminal Court prosecutor for further questioning and indictment,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

 

He added that preliminary investigations indicated the suspect suffers from mental health problems.

 

The victim’s body was transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine (NIFM) for autopsy, according to a statement by the Public Security Directorate.

 

A team of government physicians, headed by NIFM Director Hammam Qatawneh, conducted the autopsy and found multiple head injuries caused by a blunt object, a senior medical source said.

 

The report also confirmed signs of strangulation on the victim’s neck.

 

“The cause of death was manual strangulation and a fractured skull,” the senior medical source told The Jordan Times.

 

Blood and tissue samples were collected and sent to the Forensic and Laboratories Department for further analysis, the source added.

 

The Criminal Court prosecutor has begun questioning the suspect and members of the victim’s family as part of the ongoing investigation, a senior official source said.

 

Investigations are ongoing, according to Sartawi.