Major Crimes Detectives Arrest Mother After She Confessed to Killing Her Adult Son Last Summer
Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Detectives arrested a 58-year-old female suspect after she reported and confessed she shot and disposed of her 35-year-old son’s body. The suspect was booked into the Spokane County Jail and charged with Murder 2nd Degree.
On January 14, 2023, at approximately 8:50 pm, Spokane County Deputies responded to a suspicious call report. The caller stated his sister confessed to shooting her son last June. He said the victim had not been seen since then and that he believes his sister is telling the truth.
Deputies contacted the witness and the suspect, 58-year-old Christine D. Catelli, in a parking lot in the 4800 block of N. Assembly Street. The witness stated that Christine Catelli had been under a lot of stress and struggled with a substance abuse addiction, but he thought she had been doing well and making progress.
She confided in him on January 14, 2023, stating she killed her son in June 2022. He drove Christine Catelli from his home on the west side of the state back to Spokane County to report the crime and to assist law enforcement with recovering the victim’s remains that had been dumped in Whitman County.
Major Crimes Detectives responded and spoke with Christine Catelli, who confirmed the information. She explained she shot the victim several times at a residence in the 1400 block of W. Jennings Road last June.
Christine Catelli led Investigators to Gene Webb Road, near Rock Lake, in Whitman County. She told Detectives after shooting her son, she wrapped his body in black plastic and dumped his remain at the location while discarding other pieces of evidence along the way.
Detective Hall located a large, black plastic bag containing human remains in the exact area Christine Catelli had advised.
Whitman County Sheriff’s Deputies secured the scene until the next day, when the scene could be searched for evidence during the light of day.
Christine Catelli was arrested for Murder 2nd Degree and transported and booked into the Spokane County Jail, where she remains.
This remains an active investigation, no further information is available at this time.
The Spokane County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the name of the decedent, along with cause and manner of death, when appropriate.