Jason Thomas Russell lived with his mother in Spring Hill, Florida. When the 47-year-old called 911 for help on September 18, 2025, police had no idea what they would soon uncover. When Hernando County Fire Rescue personnel arrived at the family’s home on Boyce Street, they saw Russell outside. He stood next to his unidentified 79-year-old mother in her wheelchair. Russell refused to let first responders in the house, an early clue that something was seriously wrong.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office reported that Russell called 911, claiming his mother was unresponsive. He denied anyone entry into the home to check what medications the woman was on. Paramedics rushed the woman to an area hospital. Her condition was so poor, it was like something out of a nightmare.
“Doctors said she was malnourished, septic from multiple sources of infection, had pneumonia in her right lung, a urinary tract infection, and had areas of her skin that were rotting from infection,” the sheriff’s office shared in the release.
Investigators added that open sores covered her body along with her own waste. But what may be the worst part is that the woman suffered a maggot infestation on her body. How can anyone be so cruel, particularly to their own mother?
When deputies arrived at the home, they instantly declared it a crime scene. Russell, who was out on bond from a previous DUI arrest, allegedly resisted officers by entering the home when they expressly prohibited him from doing so. When authorities went inside, what they saw shocked them.
“They found two heavily soiled couches covered in ants and flies. Deputies also noted a strong odor of ammonia,” the sheriff’s office explained. “Soiled women’s clothing was also found in the living room along with a bedside commode.”
As if it couldn’t get any worse, Russell allegedly told investigators that to bathe his mother, he dipped her in the pool or wiped her with a cloth. Sadly, the woman died two days after the 911 call.
The story horrified readers on the sheriff’s office’s Facebook page.
“What an animal. I pray for this poor elderly victim elder abuse is not only in nursing home, victims of abuse are often abused by family members,” one person wrote. “Here is a tragic example of family abuse.”
“How sad his mom had to endure such pain and suffering. I hope he gets his,” someone else added.
A judge placed Russell in jail without bond on charges of resisting an officer without violence and neglect of an elderly person, causing great bodily harm, the sheriff’s office noted. It’s unclear if he could face additional charges in his mother’s death, but it certainly feels warranted.
