The investigation into the deaths of a mother and son in Howell is now complete, and results reveal a murder/suicide.
The bodies of Kim Ilena Mathewson, 62, and her son, Shawn W. Mathewson, 39, were found Nov. 6, 2019, when police conducted a welfare check after receiving a report that the two hadn’t been seen since Oct. 25, 2019.
Police found an accumulation of mail and packages on the front porch of the home on W. Legrand Street in the Howell Estates Mobile Home Community. With the assistance of the Howell Fire Department, police were able to get inside the home, where they discovered the bodies of the mother and son, who had been deceased for some time.
Because of the condition of the bodies, the bodies were transported to the University of Michigan Hospital for autopsy and determination of cause of death.
The autopsy shows that Kim Mathewson’s death was the result of homicide, and that she died of blunt force trauma to the head. Shawn Mathewson’s death has been ruled a suicide after toxicology reports showed a drug overdose.
It’s been reported that Kim Mathewson had a history of medical issues, and her son was her caretaker.
