A Franklin County man stabbed his 84-year-old mother to death and later committed suicide, officials said.

Relatives of Elizabeth O’Barr found her Wednesday in her bedroom, Northern Circuit District Attorney Parks White said in a statement.

She had been stabbed multiple times and police immediately suspected her 63-year-old son, Thomas Everett O’Barr, who lived in the same house on Misty Mills Road in Lavonia. But O’Barr wasn’t inside the house.

Officials found his body about a quarter-mile from the crime scene, White said.

He had apparently “taken his own life,” White said.

Officials believe O’Barr acted alone.

Franklin County is about 90 miles northeast of Atlanta.

Know what's really going on with crime and public safety in your metro Atlanta community, including breaking news, trial coverage, trends and the latest on unsolved cases. Sign up for the AJC's crime and safety newsletter delivered weekly to your inbox.

In other news:

Their effort grew so large, they needed two trailers to deliver it.

About the Author

Keep Reading

If the Senate's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passes, the 30% federal tax credits offered for clean energy installations — such as these solar panels being installed atop an Ellenwood home in 2022 — would be sunset by the end of 2025. (Jason Getz/AJC 2022)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

Georgia Sens. Jon Ossoff (left) and Raphael Warnock — along with the other 45 members in the Democratic caucus — opposed the reconciliation bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday. The wide-ranging package extends tax cuts and slashes federal spending on safety net programs. (Ben Hendren for the AJC 2024)

Credit: Ben Hendren for the AJC