Court accounts said the woman lost consciousness from blood loss before her condition stabilized after surgery.
CHANDLER, Ariz. — A Chandler woman survived a serious neck wound after police said her son stabbed her while she slept, causing heavy blood loss and leading prosecutors to charge him with attempted first-degree murder.
The woman’s survival is the central fact in a case that began before sunrise May 15 inside a family home near Elliot and Alma School roads. Police said George Randall, 25, attacked his mother with a steak knife, then made statements showing he knew what he had done. Prosecutors said the injury was near fatal and asked for a high bond, which a judge set at $1 million cash only.
The first public signs of the attack came from inside the home, when the woman woke up to pain and screamed for help. Police said she had been asleep on a couch or recliner when Randall returned from the kitchen with a red-handled steak knife. The affidavit said he cut and stabbed the right side of her neck. “He’s stabbing me,” she shouted, according to police. She then yelled, “He is killing me.” Her cries reached Randall’s father, brother and sister, who were elsewhere in the residence. Police said the father confronted Randall after the stabbing and the family contacted authorities.
Officers responded at about 4:30 a.m. and found the woman seriously injured. Emergency crews took her to a hospital. In court, a prosecutor said the woman had been stabbed in the side of the neck while asleep and had passed out because of blood loss. She underwent surgery and was later described as stable. Authorities have not released her name, age or full condition. They also have not publicly described the exact wound path, the number of stitches, the length of the hospital stay or whether she will need further procedures. The limited medical information came from early court statements and police accounts.
Police said Randall was detained at the scene and later arrested. Investigators said he admitted he had thought about stabbing his mother for weeks and chose her neck because he wanted to wound vital arteries. A prosecutor said in court that Randall selected that location because he believed it would cause the most damage. That statement, along with the alleged admission about weeks of thought, is expected to be important to the attempted first-degree murder charge. Prosecutors must prove more than injury. They must prove intent to kill and an act taken toward that goal.
The affidavit said Randall described the hours before the stabbing in detail. Around 3 a.m., police said, he asked his mother to talk. He told investigators that he wanted to open up about personal struggles and matters he had hidden from the family. After several minutes, he became angry because he believed she did not respond correctly. He accused her of being “narcissistic” and said she did not care about his feelings, according to police. Investigators said he believed she failed to console him or provide what he considered the proper amount of care. His mother later fell asleep near him.
Police said there was no fight before the stabbing. The affidavit said there was no argument, no physical conflict and no immediate threat from the victim. Randall allegedly told investigators he decided to harm her because of her perceived lack of care during the conversation. He walked to the kitchen, took the knife and returned to the living area, police said. The woman was asleep when the attack began. That timing separates the police account from a sudden fight or struggle and places the alleged decision-making on Randall before the injury occurred.
After his arrest, police said, Randall spoke in blunt terms about the attack. The affidavit quotes him as saying, “She loved me and I stabbed her.” Investigators said he stated he wanted the victim to die and did not care whether she was alive or dead. He also allegedly said he was surprised that he did not feel bad about stabbing his mother and described it as “easy.” Police said those comments showed no remorse. Randall has not been convicted, and the statements attributed to him would be subject to court rules on admissibility if the case proceeds.
Family members gave police a separate view of the days and months before the stabbing. They said Randall had not had a violent outburst like this before, but they were concerned by recent odd behavior. The affidavit said he lost his job a few months earlier and was injured while working out. Relatives told police those events made him more withdrawn and isolated. They also described a troubling episode the day before the stabbing, when he allegedly paced frantically, spoke to a voice that was not there, stripped to his boxers and lay in a hallway. Authorities have not said whether Randall had any past mental health diagnosis.
Investigators asked Randall about hearing voices or other mental health matters. Police said he first claimed a demon named “Barricles” told him to attack his mother. The affidavit said he later admitted he made that up and acted on his own. Police wrote that Randall said he mentioned voices or a demon because he thought it might place him in a psychiatric ward. Investigators said he also acknowledged that stabbing his mother was illegal and wrong. Those details may become part of later court arguments if lawyers raise questions about competency, criminal responsibility or mental health treatment. No such ruling has been announced publicly.
Randall is charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault. The aggravated assault count reflects the allegation that a weapon and serious injury were involved. The attempted murder count reflects the allegation that Randall tried to kill his mother rather than merely hurt her. At the first appearance, the court set a $1 million cash-only bond after prosecutors raised safety concerns. The case was set to continue later in May. Court proceedings could bring formal charging documents, defense arguments, witness testimony, medical records and any review of Randall’s mental state.
For the victim, the public record so far is narrow. It identifies her as Randall’s mother, says she was asleep when attacked, says she woke up and screamed, and says she survived after surgery. It does not give her own public statement or describe her recovery beyond stable condition. The case record also does not say whether she returned home, whether the family requested privacy or whether any protective order blocks Randall from contact with relatives. Those unknowns remain outside the police narrative, which focuses on the alleged attack and Randall’s statements afterward.
The Maricopa County case remains pending, with Randall held on a $1 million cash-only bond. The next hearing is expected to define the path of the prosecution and whether mental health questions become part of the court record.
Author note: Last updated June 17, 2026.