PORTLAND, Oregon — Police arrested a 27-year-old man on Wednesday accused of murdering his mother in late October. There was no indication of foul play at the time, according to Portland police, but an autopsy later came back suspicious.
On Oct 20, officers responded to a call about a death investigation around 7:30 a.m. on Southwest Menefee Drive in the Hillsdale neighborhood. Police identified the victim as 59-year-old Teresa Graham. The next day on Oct 21, the medical examiner's office notified the Portland Police Unit that the autopsy "revealed suspicious circumstances," Portland police said.
Detectives arrested Graham's son, Austin Graham, on Wednesday. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on a charge of murder in the second degree domestic-violence.
Teresa Graham described a decline in her son's mental health in civil court papers filed this year, The Oregonian reported, starting when he had a traumatic brain injury in 2018. She stated that her son had hallucinations and once grabbed a knife after thinking people were coming to get him, according to The Oregonian. She won guardianship of him in August.
The medical examiner will conduct more testing to determine the cause of Teresa Graham's death.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Jennifer Hertzler at Jennifer.Hertzler@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-1040. People can also contact Detective Joseph Corona at Joseph.Corona@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-0508. Please reference case number 23-274676.
There have been 62 homicide cases in Portland so far in 2023, according to police. Last year marked the deadliest year in the city's modern history, with 96 confirmed homicides.
