Battambang Provincial Court’s Investigating Judge Ky Ty Meng has placed a man in pre-trial detention in connection with the alleged murder of his mother with a homemade gun on the morning of August 11.

Provincial court spokesman Duong Saran said authorities had identified the suspect, 22, as a drug addict. He had been charged with murder under Article 199 of the Criminal Code.

Pang Heang, Kors Kralor district police chief, said the suspect had lost control of himself because of his addiction and shot his 62-year-old mother. Police arrested him on the night of August 8.

According to Heang, before the incident, the suspect knocked on the door of his mother’s house at about 11pm. As soon as she opened the door, he shot her once in the left side of her chest, killing her instantly.

“That night, Samnang was delusional and disorientated. He had and air rifle for shooting fish and a steel arrow about 0.3m long when he knocked on his mother’s door,” he said.

After shooting his mother, the suspect fled and hid in his house nearby. However, police found him after a girl who stayed with the victim ran to tell his father.

“The suspect said he had shot his mother because he thought she was a witch. So, he cannot live with her that’s why he killed her,” he said.