David Ekers has been charged with intentional second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. (Hennepin County Jail)
MAPLE GROVE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 34-year-old Plymouth man has been charged after he allegedly bludgeoned his grandmother to death with a wrench and critically injured his mother and sister, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.
David Ekers is charged with intentional second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
According to the criminal complaint, on Wednesday, Ekers' father called Maple Grove police to report his son had severely injured three family members. When police arrived, they found Ekers' grandmother, mother and sister with serious head wounds. Emergency crews took all three to the hospital. The grandmother suffered skull fractures and internal bleeding and later passed away on Thursday. The mother and sister are still in critical condition in intensive care.
Ekers' father told police they had been downstairs working when Ekers went upstairs. Then he heard his wife scream, so he ran upstairs and found Ekers holding a wrench.
In a police interview, Ekers admitted he tried to kill the three women with a wrench. He explained he hit his sister first, then his grandmother and his mother last. He told police he planned to murder them about an hour before the attacks. Ekers, who lives with a mental illness, told police he attacked them because he believed they would make him return to the hospital or start taking his medication again. According to the complaint, his mother told him he may need to go back to the hospital.
He is next scheduled to appear in court on August 4.