Oregon Man Pleads Guilty to Murder After Stabbing His Mother to Death: 'He Was at War with His Own Mind' By Liam Quinn

An Oregon man pleaded guilty to murder after he fatally stabbed his mother, who had been his legal guardian.

Chad Brix, 53, pleaded guilty except for insanity to one count of second-degree murder on Oct. 15 in connection with the killing of his mother, 78-year-old Virginia Brix in February 2024, according to Clackamas County authorities. He was taken to the Oregon State Hospital, where he will be under the jurisdiction of the state’s Psychiatric Security Review Board.

Brix has suffered from paranoid delusions, impulsivity and auditory hallucinations as a result of his schizophrenia diagnosis, which he received more than 15 years ago, and had been hospitalized multiple times, authorities said.

According to officials, Virginia had been appointed as Brix’s guardian in 2022. She spoke with him daily and drove from her home near Seattle to his home in Lake Oswego, Ore., frequently to check on him.

On the day Virginia died, Brix texted his father that he had killed her, authorities said. When police responded, they found Virginia covered in blankets.

Brix told police he believed his mother had been drugging him and that he stabbed her while she slept.

According to authorities, Brix’s brother said his mother had spent $460,000 on her son to attempt to support his financial needs.

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Brix’s ex-wife and daughters told the judge in his case that they lived in fear of him after his diagnosis, due to a perceived threat of violence.

“He was at war with his own mind,” one of his daughters said, according to Clackamas County authorities.

Brix briefly addressed his family in court, authorities said.

“I sincerely apologize,” he said. “I didn’t mean to do it. I’m so sorry.”