WEST PALM BEACH, FL – A Florida woman faces first-degree murder charges after allegedly killing her 97-year-old mother, telling investigators the elderly woman asked to die because of her declining health but couldn’t qualify for legal end-of-life options.
Martha Jo Blake, 66, was arrested Friday after Palm Beach County deputies discovered her mother Patricia Blake’s body at their home on Ashley Drive. The daughter is being held without bond as prosecutors build their case.
According to the arrest report, Blake admitted to killing her mother but insisted Patricia had requested it. She told investigators her mother suffered from Parkinson’s disease and a thyroid disorder, and had even discussed “Death with Dignity” options with her physician in Maine, where such medical assistance is legal.
But there was a problem with that plan. Patricia Blake didn’t qualify under Maine’s program because her conditions, while serious, weren’t considered terminal.
Blake told police that she and her mother explored other options, including pills, but determined they didn’t have enough to do the job. What happened next led to Blake being charged with murder.
The autopsy results tell a brutal story that doesn’t quite match the peaceful passing Blake described to investigators. Medical examiners found that Patricia died from suffocation or strangulation. She had a fresh fracture in her neck, internal hemorrhaging on both sides of her throat, and evidence that something had covered her face.
Those findings suggest the 97-year-old’s death was anything but gentle.
Blake had served as her mother’s primary caregiver for the past five years, handling the daily demands of looking after an elderly parent with progressive health issues. Neighbors described the arrangement as seemingly normal until deputies showed up Friday morning.
The daughter remained in custody Tuesday awaiting a pretrial detention hearing. If convicted of first-degree murder, she faces life in prison.
