Missouri man charged with killing mother over inheritance dispute

A Missouri man is behind bars after authorities say he allegedly beat his mother to death with a gardening tool after demanding his inheritance. 

Derrick Alling, 39, is facing first-degree murder and armed criminal action charges, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. 

Christian County deputies were called to the home of Carolyn Alling, 65, at around 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 25, after her husband, who is Derrick Alling’s stepfather, requested a welfare check because she was not answering her phone, FOX 8 reported. 

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When deputies arrived at the Ozark home, they were met by Derrick Alling and began asking him questions about his mother’s whereabouts. Based on his answers, authorities quickly became suspicious of the victim’s son. 

“They just had a gut feeling that something wasn’t quite right, and they acted upon that,” Sheriff Brad Cole told the outlet. “Unfortunately, the gut feeling they had, they found to be true.”

Deputies reportedly asked Derrick Alling where his mother was, to which he responded she was in a guest house on the family’s property and failed to answer when authorities asked about her condition. 

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When deputies asked Derrick Alling if his mother was alive, he reportedly told him that “he didn’t think so.”

“With the interaction, that’s when they detained him, and then, they began investigating further and found the victim,” Cole said.

Authorities discovered Carolyn Alling’s body in the family’s guest house, where she appeared to have been brutally beaten with a gardening or scraping tool, according to FOX 8. 

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Fox News Digital was unable to immediately locate an attorney representing Derrick Alling. 

Prior to the alleged killing, the victim’s husband reported that Derrick Alling made repeated threats toward his mother and demanded his inheritance from her, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. 

“The victim had been recording the defendant acting aggressively and violently towards her within weeks of her murder,” authorities said.

Prosecutors also revealed the stepfather also told police that he and his wife chose to “keep their marriage secret for fear of the defendant acting violently toward them if he found out.”

Carolyn Alling worked as a licensed dental hygienist, and previously lived in California with her late husband and two children before moving back to Missouri, according to her obituary. 

The Christian County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Derrick Alling has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 14.