Police said George Randall told investigators he had thought about the attack for weeks before his mother woke up screaming.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — A 25-year-old Chandler man is facing attempted murder and aggravated assault charges after police said he stabbed his sleeping mother in the neck with a steak knife inside the family home May 15.

The case centers on a late-night family conversation, a sleeping victim and statements police said George Randall made after his arrest. Authorities said his mother survived after suffering serious injuries and receiving hospital treatment. Prosecutors described the stabbing as unprovoked and told a judge Randall had targeted an area of the body likely to cause grave harm.

Police said officers were called at about 4:30 a.m. to a home near Elliot and Alma School roads in Chandler, a city in the Phoenix area. Inside, they found Randall’s mother wounded after an attack that relatives said began while she was asleep. According to police accounts, the woman woke up to her son cutting her with a knife and shouted for help. “He’s stabbing me,” she yelled, according to an arrest affidavit. Moments later, police said, she screamed, “He is killing me,” loud enough to alert Randall’s father, brother and sister, who were also inside the residence.

The mother, whose name has not been released by authorities, was taken to a hospital after the stabbing. Reports from the initial court appearance said she suffered severe blood loss, lost consciousness and underwent surgery. Her condition later stabilized. Police have not publicly released a full medical report, and officials have not disclosed whether she had additional wounds beyond the injuries to her neck. Randall was detained at the scene and later booked into jail, where court records described a $1 million cash-only bond. Prosecutors said during the first hearing that they were concerned Randall could pose a danger to others.

Investigators said the attack followed a conversation that began around 3 a.m., when Randall asked his mother if they could talk. The affidavit said he wanted to tell her about personal struggles and things he had been hiding from the family. For several minutes, police said, he spoke about what had been weighing on him. Randall later told investigators he became angry because his mother did not respond in the way he expected. He allegedly described her as “narcissistic” and said she did not seem to care about him or his feelings. Police said he told them her reaction failed to console him or give him the attention he believed he needed.

After the conversation, police said, Randall’s mother fell asleep near him on a recliner or couch in the living area. Investigators said Randall then walked into the kitchen, took a red-handled steak knife from a drawer and returned to where she was sleeping. The affidavit said he stabbed and scratched the right side of her neck. Police said Randall later admitted he chose the neck because he wanted to wound vital arteries. A prosecutor told the court Randall “intentionally chose the location” of the stabbing to do the most damage. Authorities have not said whether the knife was recovered, but the affidavit described the weapon as a steak knife taken from the home.

Relatives told police they had not seen Randall have a violent outburst like this before. They also described recent changes in his behavior, according to the affidavit. Randall had lost his job a few months earlier and had been injured while working out, the family told investigators. They said those events hurt his mood and left him more withdrawn and isolated. Police also said relatives reported unusual conduct the day before the stabbing, including frantic pacing, speaking and responding to a voice that did not appear to exist, stripping down to his boxers and lying in a hallway. The affidavit used family statements to describe the episode as possibly “schizo or manic.”

Police said Randall gave changing answers when questioned about his mental state. Investigators asked him about hearing voices and other mental health issues. Randall initially said a demon named “Barricles” told him to carry out the attack, according to the affidavit. Police said he later admitted that claim was false and said he had acted on his own. The affidavit said Randall told officers he mentioned voices or a demon because he thought it might help him be placed in a psychiatric ward. Investigators wrote that he said he understood stabbing his mother was illegal and wrong. They also said he told them he wanted his mother to die and did not care whether she lived.

The statements police attributed to Randall became a central part of the case. After he was taken into custody, investigators said, he told officers, “She loved me and I stabbed her.” The affidavit said he also expressed surprise that he did not feel bad about the stabbing and described the act as “easy.” Police said Randall told them he had thought about stabbing his mother for a few weeks before the attack. Authorities did not report a fight, argument or physical threat before the stabbing. The affidavit said the victim was asleep and posed no threat when Randall attacked her.

Randall is charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault. The charges mean prosecutors allege he tried to kill his mother and caused or intended to cause serious injury. He is presumed innocent unless convicted. Officials have not released details of any plea, defense filing or competency review. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office was identified in court accounts as the agency handling the prosecution. Randall was due back in court later in May, and any future hearings would determine how the case moves through the criminal system, including whether prosecutors seek additional conditions tied to mental health concerns.

The attack left the family home near Evergreen Street as the focus of a case built largely on witness statements, medical response and Randall’s alleged confession. The police account gives no public name for the mother, father or siblings. It also leaves some facts unresolved, including the full extent of the victim’s injuries, whether any emergency protective order was issued and whether doctors or court officials will evaluate Randall’s mental health. For now, the criminal case is moving forward on the accusation that he planned for weeks, waited until his mother was asleep and then stabbed her in a place he believed could kill her.

George Randall remained jailed on the $1 million cash-only bond after his first court appearance. The next milestone is the continuation of the Maricopa County case, where prosecutors are expected to rely on the affidavit, family statements and medical evidence.

Author note: Last updated June 17, 2026.