A San Jose man is in custody on suspicion of killing his mother by lacing her drink with a fatal dose of fentanyl.
Bradley Dexter, 40, was arrested Tuesday and faces charges of murder, poisoning and elder abuse in the death of his mother, 72-year-old Kathleen Dexter, at her San Jose home in June.
Bradley was being questioned by police this week after allegedly assaulting his father with a metal baton.
His father, who asked to remain anonymous, spoke with NBC Bay Area on Thursday. He still had cuts and bruises on his face.
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"I’m recovering," he said. "I’m in a lot of pain both physically as well as mentally."
He went on to say the anger from his son is due to drug abuse and misunderstandings about his inheritance.
"My wife ultimately was the victim in this situation and did not deserve what happened," the father said.
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Prosecutor Rebekah Wise said Bradley put fentanyl in his mother’s food first and later put a fatal dose in her wine, making it hard for investigators looking for the cause of death.
"What was originally noted to be a death of an elder ended up being a homicide, and they were able to prove that," Wise said. "It is very difficult to find traces of fentanyl. The coroner’s office has to send the blood sample out to an outside lab."
Bradley was supposed to make his first court appearance on Thursday, but he refused to leave his cell. His arraignment was rolled over to Monday. The judge set no bail without prejudice.
If convicted with all the special circumstances, Bradley faces a possible life sentence without parole.
