Son accused of killing mother with gardening tool wanted his inheritance, court documents say

OZARK, Mo. (KY3/Gray News) – A Missouri man is facing murder charges after he allegedly killed his mother with a gardening tool.

Derrick Alling is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to court documents. He is accused of killing his mother, Carolyn Alling.

Christian County Sheriff Brad Cole says the case started as a well-being check around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. Carolyn Alling’s husband, who is Derrick Alling’s stepfather, made the call after his wife didn’t respond to phone calls for several hours.

Court documents show that when deputies got to the home in Ozark, deputies met Derrick Alling and questioned him about his mother. According to Cole, something in that interaction seemed off.

“They just had a gut feeling that something wasn’t quite right, and they acted upon that,” Cole said. “Unfortunately, the gut feeling they had, they found to be true.”

Deputies asked Derrick Alling where his mother was. He told them she was in a guest house on the property. When asked if she was OK, deputies said the suspect gave no response. When asked if she was alive, he said he didn’t think so.

“With the interaction, that’s when they detained him, and then, they began investigating further and found the victim,” Cole said.

The probable cause statement states Carolyn Alling was repeatedly hit in the head and face with a gardening or scraping tool.

According to court documents, the victim’s husband told investigators Derrick Alling had been making threats against his mother in the weeks leading up to her death, demanding that he be given his inheritance. The suspect is reportedly the beneficiary of his mother’s trust.

Derrick Alling is being held without bond. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to be in court again Oct. 14.