PHOENIX, AZ – A troubling 911 call led to the arrest of Aaron Morse, 51, after he allegedly shot his mother, Susan Morse, at their Phoenix home on April 16. The call initially reported a confrontation but took an unusual turn when Morse casually suggested to dispatchers that perhaps he could “call the whole thing off,” shortly before police arrived at the scene.
Officers responding to the call discovered 74-year-old Susan Morse with a critical gunshot wound to the head. Despite urgent medical attention, she was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital later that day.
According to court records, Morse, who made the call, portrayed the situation as an argument gone wrong and claimed his mother was simply in her pottery studio.
Investigators uncovered that after the shooting, Aaron Morse allegedly disarmed the gun and placed it in a Tupperware container. However, he did not disclose any further details about the supposed argument with his mother during his communication with dispatchers.
Further complications in the case arose from Morse’s apparent intoxication. Officers noted the smell of alcohol on him when they arrived, a factor that prosecutors emphasized during his initial court hearing.
Morse, reportedly with blood on his hands and shoes, allegedly admitted to arguing before the incident but spared other specifics.
In a conversation with the police about the future proceedings, Morse appeared resigned to his fate, saying, “Probably not. I have a heinous crime,” when informed that a judge would make the next judicial decision.
Aaron Morse has since been charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. He remains held in the Maricopa County Jail as the investigation continues to unfold.