KINGMAN – A low intelligence, mentally challenged Bullhead City man who used his hands and feet and a shower curtain rod to beat his disabled mother to death has been sentenced to the Arizona Department of Corrections.
Joseph Houston, 28, pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of second-degree murder for the April, 2023 death of his mother after breaking into her home in the 1300 block of Lincoln Lane.
Judge Billy Sipe noted that Houston’s mental health issues are significant but don’t rise to the level of a defense from prosecution. He said the brutal manner of the murder serves as aggravation, in balance with the mental mitigation.
Sipe said there’s no doubt that Janice Houston, 51, suffered physical pain and emotional anguish in realizing her own son was beating her to death. The judge imposed a 16-year prison term.
