Son arrested for allegedly killing his Bellingham mom, leaving her in Lake Samish

A Bellingham man allegedly stabbed his mother multiple times, wrapped her in a blanket and left her body in the water at Samish Park over the weekend, according to documents read Monday in Whatcom County Superior Court.

Matthew Downey Gregory, 29, was arrested early Monday on suspicion of second-degree murder of Frances Gregory, his 64-year-old mother.

At his first appearance, Whatcom County Court Commissioner Leon Henley Jr. set bail at $1 million. If convicted, Gregory faces 20 years to life in prison.

Formal charges are expected to be filed Tuesday.

Gregory’s arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Aug. 10. It’s possible a deadly weapon enhancement may be added to the formal charges, depending on what was found by crime scene units, according to Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Eric Richey.

At about 10:45 Sunday morning, Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies went to the 600 block of North Lake Samish Drive after witnesses reported a body floating in the water. A deputy waded into the lake and pulled the woman’s body to shore, according to court records.

Frances Gregory had two large, deep cuts on her neck, and additional wounds on top of her head and her upper arms, the records state. The wounds were likely caused by a knife.

Her legs were wrapped in a goose-down blanket, which had a small tear in it, and she wasn’t wearing pants or shoes, records show. Small amounts of goose-down feathers were found along the steps, near the dock and up to the water line where she was found. A pair of small sweatpants were found nearby, records state.

Deputies found no identification for the woman near the lake, Richey said, and at the time her body was found, no missing persons reports were filed that matched her description. No abandoned vehicle was found at the scene.

Around 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Matthew Gregory called Bellingham police and said that his mother was missing from their Bellingham home. Police later identified Frances Gregory from her driver’s license, records show.

Shortly after that, officers learned Matthew Gregory had made several suspicious calls to family members about his missing mother.

Gregory told his father that she had been gone for about a day and he didn’t know where she went. He also told his father later that he had reported Frances Gregory missing a day earlier than he actually had, records state.

Gregory also called his uncle and said his mother had been gone for two days and was possibly at a religious retreat, according to court records.

Later Sunday night, police officers went to Frances Gregory’s home in the 1500 block of Harris Avenue, where Matthew Gregory also lived.

Matthew Gregory told police he last saw his mother around 1 p.m. Friday and she had left without her cell phone, purse or car. He said the last conversation they had was small talk and he didn’t remember what she was wearing, records state.

When talking with Matthew Gregory, officers noticed a dustpan filled with goose-down feathers that were similar to the feathers found in the blanket on Frances Gregory’s body and near the lake.

When officers looked into the window of Frances Gregory’s car, they saw feathers and blood stains in the back seat, according to court records. They also found a pair of women’s sneakers on the front passenger floorboard.

During a search warrant served on the home, officers found blood and tufts of hair on the porch, records state.

Gregory was then booked into jail on suspicion of second-degree murder. He has no known criminal history in Whatcom County.

This story was originally published July 30, 2018 at 5:35 PM.