Adult son beat his elderly father to death with ceramic bowl and then played video games, police say

Texas police say that a 45-year-old man beat his elderly father to death with a ceramic bowl and was found playing video games when police responded.

San Antonio police said that they were contacted for a welfare check on the couple by a home health care agency that said they weren't responding to calls or door knocks from a routine check.

Police responded to the Three Fountains apartment complex on Jan. 19 at about 6 p.m. and no one answered the door. After entering the unit with the help of a maintenance person, they heard a woman crying for help. Inside, police said they nearly tripped over blankets left on the ground before they realized that there was the body of a man under the blankets.

They found the remains of an 85-year-old man and found his wife in an injured state inside of a room. She told them that she had locked herself in after her son attacked them both on Thursday night.

When police found their son, James Gordon Barber, he was playing video games.

Investigators said Barber didn't resist officers, and he was saying things that didn't make sense.

His father died of blunt force injuries, and police said they were able to find a broken ceramic bowl with blood on it. His 57-year-old mother was admitted into a hospital with life-threatening injuries, including head trauma and fractures.

The couple was reportedly attacked about 20 hours before police found them.

A family member told KENS-TV that the man had suffered from severe mental health illness and had recently moved in with his parents after getting a divorce. Neighbors said the parents had lived at the apartments for several years.

Barber was charged with murder and aggravated assault. He was given a $400,000 bond.

Here's a local news report about the incident:

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