Relatives said George Randall had become withdrawn before police say he attacked his mother as she slept.
CHANDLER, Ariz. — Family members told police George Randall had been acting strangely before authorities say the 25-year-old stabbed his sleeping mother in the neck during an early May 15 attack at a Chandler home.
The attempted murder case has drawn attention not only for the violence police described, but also for the details relatives gave investigators about Randall’s recent behavior. Court and police accounts said his family reported no earlier violent outburst like the stabbing. They did, however, describe job loss, physical injury, isolation and an apparent episode the day before the attack.
According to the arrest affidavit, relatives said Randall had lost his job a few months before the stabbing and had been hurt while working out. They told police those setbacks changed his mood and demeanor. He became more withdrawn and isolated, they said. The day before the attack, family members reported seeing him pace frantically through the house and respond to a voice they could not hear. They also said he stripped down to his boxers and lay in a hallway. The affidavit said relatives described the conduct as a possible “schizo or manic episode.” Authorities have not released medical records confirming any diagnosis, and the family’s comments were presented as witness statements to police.
The next morning, police said, Randall went to his mother around 3 a.m. and asked to talk. Investigators wrote that he wanted to share struggles and hidden concerns with her. He spoke for several minutes and later told police he believed she did not respond with enough care. The affidavit said Randall became upset because his mother did not console him in the way he expected. He allegedly called her “narcissistic” and said she did not care about his feelings. Police said that frustration became the stated reason he gave for attacking her after she fell asleep.
Authorities said Randall’s mother was asleep on a recliner or couch in the living area when he went to the kitchen and removed a red-handled steak knife from a drawer. Police said he returned to the sleeping woman and stabbed and scratched the right side of her neck. Investigators said Randall told them he targeted the neck because he wanted to hit vital arteries. During an initial court appearance, a prosecutor said Randall chose the area of the body because he intended to do the most damage. No public filing has identified the mother by name.
The attack was reported shortly afterward, around 4:30 a.m., near Elliot and Alma School roads. Police said the mother woke up while Randall was cutting her and cried out from the living area. “He’s stabbing me,” she shouted, according to the affidavit. Police said she also yelled, “He is killing me.” Those screams alerted Randall’s father, brother and sister, who were inside the home. His father confronted him after the stabbing, and the family called police. Officers detained Randall at the residence and the wounded woman was taken for emergency medical care.
At Randall’s first court appearance, a prosecutor said the woman had severe injuries and underwent surgery. Reports from the hearing said she had passed out from blood loss before her condition later stabilized. Police have not released a detailed injury list, and they have not said how long she remained hospitalized. Authorities also have not said whether any family members were physically injured while responding to the mother’s screams. The public account of the case identifies the attack as contained within the family home and says Randall was taken into custody without any reported flight from the scene.
Investigators said Randall made several statements after his arrest that shaped how police described the case. He allegedly told officers he had thought about stabbing his mother for weeks. Police said he also admitted he wanted her to die and did not care whether she lived or died. The affidavit quotes him as saying, “She loved me and I stabbed her.” Investigators also wrote that Randall was surprised he did not feel bad and said the stabbing felt “easy.” Prosecutors and police used those alleged statements to frame the attack as planned, intentional and unprovoked.
Police questioned Randall about voices and mental health. According to the affidavit, he first claimed a demon named “Barricles” told him to carry out the stabbing. When investigators pressed him, police said, he admitted he had made that up and had acted on his own. The affidavit said Randall explained that he brought up voices and a demon because he thought he might be sent to a psychiatric ward. Investigators wrote that he said he understood his conduct was illegal and wrong. Court officials have not publicly said whether a mental health evaluation has been ordered or whether Randall’s defense will raise competency.
Randall faces attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault charges in Maricopa County. Attempted first-degree murder generally requires prosecutors to prove that a person intended to kill and took a step toward carrying out that killing. Aggravated assault focuses on serious injury, use of a weapon or other circumstances that make an assault more severe. The formal case will test the statements in the affidavit, the witness accounts from relatives and any physical or medical evidence collected from the home. Randall has not been convicted, and the charges remain allegations unless proven in court.
The judge set Randall’s bond at $1 million cash only after prosecutors argued he presented a public safety concern. The prosecutor also cited family concerns about Randall’s mental health. That bond level means Randall would have to post the full amount in cash to be released, rather than a lower percentage through a bond company. Any release conditions would be set by the court. The public record available from the first hearing did not show whether he had retained a lawyer or whether a public defender had been appointed.
The Chandler home became the center of an investigation that began with a family’s emergency call and expanded into questions about planning, motive and mental state. The affidavit said there was no argument, fight or conflict immediately before the stabbing. Police wrote that the victim was asleep and posed no threat. Those details are likely to remain important as prosecutors argue intent and as the defense responds to claims that Randall acted deliberately.
Currently, Randall remains in custody after the May 15 arrest as the case moved toward its next court date later in the month. The victim’s recovery, any mental health review and the next Maricopa County hearing remain the key developments.
Author note: Last updated June 17, 2026.