Bellingham man faces first-degree murder charge for alleged shooting death of mother
The Bellingham man accused of killing his mother after the pair had an argument early Thursday is facing a first-degree murder charge.
Erich M. Abrams, 35, was charged Friday in Whatcom County Superior Court with premeditated first-degree murder (domestic violence) for the death of his mother, according to court records. Abrams’ charge includes a firearm enhancement because the alleged murder was committed with a gun, court records show.
Abrams is currently incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail, records state.
His arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 3.
Abrams’ mother was identified as Maryann Abrams in court documents. An autopsy performed by Whatcom County Medical Examiner Dr. Gary Goldfogel found Maryann Abrams had been shot four times by a firearm at close range, according to court records. At least two of the gunshot wounds were life-threatening injuries, the records state.
Bellingham police were called at 1:42 a.m. Thursday to the intersection of Bakerview and Maplewood avenues for the report of a single-car crash involving a red Subaru Outback, court records state.
SiriusXM advised police it had a report of a crash of the car owned by Abrams, and operators told What-comm dispatchers they could hear someone moving around inside the vehicle, court records state. The SiriusXM operator also told police that Abrams said he was going to kill himself for what he did or that he wanted police to kill him, records show.
Dispatchers told police witnesses saw Abrams in the car banging his head on the inside and asking for police, court records state.
Police used a public address system and Abrams was arrested. He told police he had shot his mom at their shared apartment in the Birchwood neighborhood and that he was highly intoxicated, according to court records.
He also told police he had a 9mm Springfield Hellcat in the car and he had intended to shoot himself and officers with it, the records state.
Police and firefighters responded to Abrams’ apartment where they found his mother with multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene, court records state.
Police found multiple guns in the apartment after obtaining a search warrant, the records show.
Abrams told police he and his mother had gotten into an argument and he became upset, so he opened a safe where he kept guns and loaded one. He told police he then went into his mother’s bedroom and shot her multiple times, court records state.
Abrams told police he then drove away from the apartment and planned to kill himself, but due to his level of intoxication, he failed to negotiate a turn from West Maplewood Avenue onto West Bakerview Avenue and crashed into a pole, the records state.
