A Texas man has been charged with murder in the fatal attack of his mother, which he reportedly confessed to a friend over a gaming app.
Authorities said they learned about the incident from 24-year-old Robert Babin’s friend, who called police when he saw the messages, KTRK reported.
“I am in trouble and I need your help,” the message said, according to court documents. “I just assaulted my mother with a hammer, I got angry, I don’t know what to do, I can’t go to prison. I have to get rid of the hammer and destroy the evidence before the police get there. I don’t want to end up on Death Row. I hit her a few times on the head and the side. She’s barely breathing.”
The attack took place on June 11. Harris County Sheriff’s Office Major Ben Katrib told KHOU that the friend didn’t see the messages sent by Babin right away and that about two hours elapsed after the attack before police were dispatched to the home.
Deputies arrived and found the 61-year-old woman, later identified as Lisa Babin, in the backyard, unconscious and bleeding. She was life-flighted to a hospital and died nine days later.
“All the messages were preserved and detectives have reviewed them,” Katrib said. “Also interviewed witnesses, collected evidence, and it was — we believe that based on the information we have — that the suspect was even making attempts to conceal the crime. But luckily, his friend did the right thing and called 911 and we were able to respond in time.”
Katrib said the mother and son lived at the home together and no one else was present.
Babin was initially charged with aggravated assault, but the charges were upgraded to murder on Thursday, KTRK said.
