BALTIMORE — Baltimore Police say they have arrested 25-year-old Ajay Wiggins of Baltimore in connection to the murder of his mother, Joyce Gaskins.
It all began November 15, when an officer found Gaskins unresponsive inside her home in the 1600 block of Druid Hill Avenue.
Gaskins was discovered in the upstairs bedroom on the floor between the bed and wall.
According to charging documents, the officer found Wiggins lying adjacent to the mattress across from Gaskins.
Wiggins was then removed from the room after multiple voice commands were relayed to him, and it was later discovered he was mentally ill.
Officers escorted Wiggins to the living room and tried to get his account of what took place, but did not get an answer.
On a piece of paper, officers wrote, 'What happened?', to which Wiggins replied, '666,'
Officers searched Wiggins and found two prescription bottles in his pocket that were prescribed to his mother.
One of the bottles contained Quetiapine Fumarate, and the other bottle was filled with Clonidine HCL.
Police determined that Wiggins had no understanding of what was being asked of him during an interview, so they had him transported to the University of Maryland Midtown Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
Investigators examined Gaskin's body and found undissolved pills, later found to be Quetiapine, in her mouth.
They also found hemorrhaging in both of her eyes and mouth and dark bruising around her neck area.
Detectives went back to the neighborhood to question a neighbor who told them that Wiggins had been acting 'strange' for a couple of days and he normally communicates better with others.
They also told detectives that they hadn't seen Gaskins in three to four days and that earlier that day, Wiggins had appeared in the back of their vehicle, asking for them to take him somewhere, to which they replied, 'Ask your mother.'
Wiggins tried to enter the home but it was locked, prompting the neighbor to help with getting inside.
It was then Gaskins was discovered lying on the floor by the neighbor, who ran out of the home and called 911.
As Wiggins was being treated at the hospital, he allegedly confessed to staff that he killed his mother and put pills in her mouth to make it look like she overdosed.
A detective went to follow up on the statement and heard from a nurse that Wiggins told them he 'Had a secret to tell.'
Wiggins allegedly told the nurse, "The day I choked my mother, I put pills in her mouth to make it look like she overdosed."
Days later, Gaskins' death was ruled a homicide by asphyxiation due to strangulation.
Wiggins has been charged with first-degree murder.
