Massachusetts man accused of murdering his mom while he took a ‘mental health day’ off from work

Content warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of murder and mentions suicide. Please take care while reading.

A 22-year-old Avon, MA, man is accused of murdering his mother the same day he told his parents he needed to take a “mental health day” off from work and just days after the suspect, Thadeus Joseph, told his parents he was struggling with anxiety, mental health issues, and thoughts of self-harm.

Thadeus’ mom, Astrid Joseph, 53, was found dead in a “pool of blood” with signs of a struggle and a carving knife next to her body at her home on Tuesday, March 4. Thadeus, who lived with his parents, was arrested later that same day.

According to Boston news outlet WCVB, Massachusetts police say Thadeus behaved erratically during his arrest, and reportedly said, “This is so funny. All I had to do was kill my mom, and then this is it … is that stomp her face in?”

Thadeus, however, pleaded not guilty to murder charges at his arraignment hearing Wednesday, Boston.com reported. Thadeus is currently held without bail and his probable cause hearing is scheduled for April 10.

Thadeus’ father received several disturbing phone calls

It’s not immediately clear who called 911 from the Joseph’s home. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said a “household member” called the police. What is known, however, is that Thadeus’ father, Yvel Joseph, received several strange phone calls from his son and his wife on Tuesday morning. According to MassLive, Yvel missed the first phone call from his son, and Thadeus didn’t pick up when he called him back.

Yvel then told police he called Astrid, who told him he needed “to talk to his son,” but Thadeus again didn’t answer when Yvel called him. Instead, Thadeus texted him back, “It was a test.”

Yvel finally rushed back to the house around noon on Tuesday when he received one last phone call, which according to Massachusetts prosecutor Christine Cullen, sounded like it was on speaker.

According to WCVB, Cullen added, ” … [H]e heard the defendant say, ‘I have your phone.’ He then heard his wife respond, saying, ‘I’m your mother. Give me the phone.’ The phone then disconnected.” Yvel found his wife dead and the family car missing. Blood and another knife were discovered inside the house.

Cullen also said Yvel told the police that on Saturday, Thadeus told his parents he was struggling with anxiety and thoughts of self harm. “He explained that that morning, the defendant was taking the morning off,” and possibly the rest of the week, “for mental health” reasons, Cullen said.

Thadeus reportedly recently graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Neighbors described the Josephs as a loving family. “They’re very nice people, very good to their kids, and the kids were never any problems… I feel very sad,” one neighbor, Kathy Smith told MassLive.

Meanwhile, another neighbor, Dan Albrecht, said the Josephs were well-known in the neighborhood and welcomed his family when they moved to the area. “The husband, Yvel, was inconsolable when he walked out of the house — they were right over here in front of our lawn. It was really sad to hear,” Albrecht added.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. A list of international crisis resources can be found here.