Horrified Prosecutor Says, 'This Was a Beheading Case' — and the Suspect Is the Victim's Son

A South Dakota man is accused of beheading his mother whose remains were discovered in the front yard of their home.

Bowen Fladland, 34, was arrested on Tuesday, July 8, and is facing charges of first-degree murder and second-degree murder in connection with the death of his 70-year-old mother Marlene.

“We are in the process of gathering evidence, items of evidentiary value,” said South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, KELO reported. “There’ll be an autopsy. This was a beheading case,” Jackley claimed.

Fladland is being held on a $500,000 cash only bond.

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, officers arrived at a home on North Cloud Street in Clark on July 8, where they discovered the body of Marlene in the front yard.

A family member allegedly told investigators they had spoken to Marlene on Saturday at 10:02 a.m. and “she stated that Bowen Fladland had assaulted her,” per the affidavit.

Fladland was taken into custody in nearby Watertown and agreed to speak with an officer.

“During a post-Miranda interview, Fladland admitted to assaulting his mother, kneeling on her neck until she was apparently deceased and then used a tool to remove her head,” according to the affidavit.

“We ask the public to stay away from the crime scene so a thorough investigation can be done,” Jackley said.

In a separate case, Fladland was accused of attacking his mother in their home in 2023.

According to a Watertown Police Department probable cause statement obtained by PEOPLE, Marlene told investigators she woke up to Fladland screaming and went to his room to comfort him. Marlene alleged her son grabbed and started to squeeze her throat.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The following morning he attacked her again and pushed her up against the refrigerator, per the statement. “Bowen then squeezed Marlene’s throat using both hands.”

Marlene was able to break free and run into the bathroom.

“She heard Bowen digging through the silverware drawer in the kitchen,” according to the statement. “Marlene opened the bathroom door and saw Bowen holding two butter knives (one in each hand) and he stated that he was going to kill her.”

He pleaded no contest to aggravated domestic assault for the 2023 incidents, received a suspended sentence and was placed on supervised probation.  

Neighbor Sandy Herrick told KELO she was “devastated” to hear the news.

“I mean, just to hear about something like that, it gave me the creeps. I was very unsettled. I hard time sleeping that night.”

“She was such a sweet person,” added Herrick, per KELO. “When I walked by, she would always say ‘Hi’ to me, and I’d say, ‘How are you doing today? And she’d say, ‘Good.’”

Fladland has yet to enter a plea on the murder charges.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.