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MOORHEAD, Minn. — A Moorhead man who is accused of killing his mother has been formally charged with second-degree murder.
Clay County prosecutors filed the felony charge Monday, Dec. 5, against 25-year-old James Diawo Kollie Jr. Family said the victim was James Kollie’s mother, Receia Kollie.
The charge said the murder was not premeditated.
Police responded shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday to 3819 32nd St. S., where Receia and James Kollie lived. Family found the mother on the floor of the foyer when they arrived to check on her because she didn’t meet her daughter when she planned to, a criminal complaint said.
There was no sign of forced entry, according to police.
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Police confirmed Monday that the victim died from multiple "sharp force trauma" wounds. They haven't said what type of weapon caused the wounds.
Investigators believe James Kollie took his mother’s vehicle after the killing. The black Honda Pilot was not located as of Friday, law enforcement said.
James Kollie was arrested Nov. 27 on accusations that he threatened to kill his mother. An audio recording caught James Kollie telling his mother that he “was ready to take your life,” the complaint for the murder charge said.
The altercation didn’t get physical, but his mother told police she was afraid he could kill someone when his emotions became “volatile,” according to court documents.
She also told police that her son had mental health issues, court documents said.
He was charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic assault but was released without having to pay bond. He was ordered to not have contact with his mother.
James Kollie remains in custody at the Richland County Jail in Wahpeton, North Dakota, where he was arrested Friday night without incident.
The suspect showed little emotion when he was told his mother was dead, a criminal complaint said. James Kollie showed “significant anger” toward his mother because he was arrested days before her death and kicked out of the house, the complaint said.
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James Kollie claimed he hitchhiked to Wahpeton after he was released from jail on the domestic assault charge.
He is expected to be extradited to Moorhead to face prosecution. A date for his first appearance in Clay County District Court was not set as of Monday.
If convicted, James Kollie faces up to 40 years in prison.
