The man accused of killing his father in their Plymouth, Massachusetts, home admitted he "snapped," prosecutors told a judge at his first court appearance in the alleged murder Friday,
Matthew Paluzzi, 26, was charged with murder in the death of his father, 73-year-old Anthony Paluzzi, and arraigned at Plymouth District Court. The elder Paluzzi was reported by his wife, Matthew's mother, in a 911 call about 6:26 a.m. Thursday, then taken into custody later in Hanover, amid a police search.
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Paluzzi was ordered held without bail, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. The murder allegation violated the conditions of his probation, the judge found, for what prosecutors said was a seemingly random incident in which he pointed a registered gun at a woman in an ATM drive-thru and asked, "do you want to die?"
New details were revealed in Plymouth District Court, including what happened in the moments after the alleged stabbing.
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Anthony Paluzzi's wife found him "covered in blood and a kitchen knife on the floor near the front door," prosecutors said, while the first responders she called for found him "slumped on living room couch with a significant amount of blood around his neck."
Matthew Paluzzi lived at the house on Cedar Street, and his mother saw him just before finding her husband fatally wounded, according to prosecutors.
When Matthew Paluzzi was taken into custody in Hanover, troopers saw "what appeared to be fresh blood stains on his hooded sweatshirt and his sweatpants," and his hands later tested presumptively positive for blood, prosecutors said.
He told investigators he "snapped," and had mental health issued, then invoked his right to remain silent, prosecutors said.
A neighbor said he once heard Matthew yell at Anthony, "I'm going to f------ kill you," and his half-brother said he once heard Matthew say, "I can't wait for Anthony to die." The half-brother also said it was common to hear Matthew yell at his parents.
Investigators also learned about his mental health from his mother, who said his condition had recently taken a downturn after Matthew started smoking marijuana. She also said that her husband once complained of pain in his abdomen after their son "came at him."
Paluzzi is due back in court Oct. 2.
After the arraignment, Plymouth District Attorney Tim Cruz spoke about the allegations. He said the matter remained under investigation and didn't rule out that more charges would be brought.
Asked about what prosecutors said in court about Matthew Paluzzi allegedly having been heard threatening his father, Cruz said it's a challenge for police.
"We need to live in a world of accountability, we need to live in a world where we're helping people as best we can," he said.
Video from Massachusetts State Police shows officers catching up to Matthew Paluzzi’s Nissan Murano and quickly surrounding it before taking him into custody.
"I know they had some problems, but you can't even imagine this happening," said Lisa Caola, neighbor.
