Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced Wednesday morning that a man has been charged in connection with his mother’s death.
According to the sheriff’s office, the investigation began when deputies responded to a hit-and-run crash on July 21 at 6:58 a.m.
According to deputies, the blue 2022 BMW SUV collided with another car before departing the scene.
The SUV then went into the southbound lanes of US 27, collided with a towing trailer, and became inoperable. A fourth truck crashed with the third vehicle’s trailer.
The driver of the BMW, Gibson Nash, 21, was brought to the hospital and sedated before being intubated. Deputies said Nash’s identification was unclear at this time.
The series of crashes involved nine other people, three of whom were hospitalized with minor injuries.
Deputies discovered that the BMW was registered to Margaret Chu Dufour, 56, and attempted to contact her at her residence on Wilder Way in Eagle Lake.
After obtaining no response at her residence, deputies contacted neighbors. A neighbor reported hearing two loud “thuds” at Chu Dufour’s home around 4:30 a.m., according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies then proceeded around the outside of Chu Dufour’s house and discovered shattered glass from a plate at the back sliding patio door, as well as a shovel on the side of the house.
Due of the suspicious conditions, deputies entered the home and discovered Chu Dufour deceased in a front room from blunt force facial damage.
PCSO homicide investigators attended and opened a death investigation.
When Nash was identified and proven to be the driver of the BMW, authorities began investigating him as a suspect in Chu Dufour’s murder.
Family members informed investigators that Nash had a long history of violence and mental illness, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
They told deputies that Nash had frequent violent outbursts and had been arrested for domestic violence many times in Tennessee, including one incident in which he allegedly charged Chu Dufour with a knife.
According to deputies, Chu Dufour drove to Tennessee on July 14 to pick up Nash after he bonded out of jail and brought him to Eagle Lake to live with her.
Investigators visited the hospital and saw bruising on Nash’s knuckles and feet. Blood from his boots was examined and proved to be Chu Dufour’s.
Medical personnel indicated that Nash will remain in the hospital while healing from liver damage, which deputies said was caused by him taking a high dose of Tylenol before the wrecks.
Nash was extubated and taken out of sedation on Monday after his liver showed signs of recovery.
He was eventually arrested for first-degree murder.
“Gibson Nash needs to be locked away from the public forever,” Sheriff Judd stated. “The way he murdered his mother was a combination of rage and extreme violence.” After killing her, he caused two car accidents on a busy road. He shows little regard for others and poses an obvious threat to society.”
Nash is under PCSO monitoring and custody at the hospital until his discharge, after which he will be processed into the Polk County Jail.
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