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‘Lord told him to quit taking his medication,’ man accused of killing mom allegedly says

By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Tennessee man appears in court. Joshua Carr is accused of fatally stabbing his mother and slashing his grandmother earlier this month. (Sevier County Sheriff's Office)

By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee man accused of stabbing his mother 77 times told his grandmother that God told him to stop taking his prescription medication, according to testimony Thursday.

Joshua Matthew Carr, 30, of Seymour, is accused of fatally stabbing Pamela Renee Carr, 56, in the early morning hours of Sept. 2, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported. Carr was arrested two days after the assault in Michigan, WDIV reported. He is also accused of slashing his grandmother, Anna Faye Matthews, who tried to intervene on the day of the attack in her Sevier County home, the newspaper reported.

Investigators with the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office said Pamela Carr was dead when authorities arrived on the scene, WVLT reported.

“He told me the Lord told him to quit taking his medication,” Matthews testified Thursday.

Sevier County Assistant District Attorney General Ron Newcomb asked that Carr be held without bail, according to the News Sentinel. Sevier County General Sessions Court Judge Dwight Stokes granted the request.

According to defense attorney Gregory P. Isaacs, Joshua Carr was diagnosed last year with a bipolar disorder and was prescribed two medications, the newspaper reported.

"Josh routinely told you things like he was a prophet, correct?” Isaacs asked Matthews during Thursday’s hearing.

“I don’t remember if he did, (but) he told me the Lord had told him not to take his medication," Matthews said.

Matthews told the court she felt safe with her grandson in the house and had never been threatened before, the News Sentinel reported.

According to testimony on Thursday, Joshua Carr stopped taking his medication and began writing angry posts on Facebook, the newspaper reported. On Twitter, he declared his support for singer Kanye West, who is also struggling with mental illness.

Pamela Carr worked for 20 years in the finance department of the Sevierville City Hall, WBIR reported.

Joshua Carr will appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 23, the News Sentinel reported.


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