Pa. Man Sentenced After Murdering Mom in Brutal Beating that 'Caved in' Her Face

Erik Michael Watkins pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and tearfully apologized to his family in court

A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to prison for the brutal murder of his mother in 2020, according to multiple reports.

Local WBRE reported that Erik Michael Watkins pleaded guilty to third-degree murder on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 3, in connection with the death of his mother Patricia Watkins, 60, at her home in Sugar Notch, Pa., on Dec. 13, 2020. Watkins, 43, was sentenced to up to 40 years in prison with time served, according to the outlet.

Authorities say Watkins killed his mother shortly after moving back into the family’s home with his mother and his stepbrother.

Watkins reportedly told police that he had smoked marijuana before going to bed and that he began “hearing voices” when, suddenly, a “higher power” urged him to kill his mother.

Soon after, Watkins’ stepbrother found him beating his mother in the face after hearing a loud bang inside the home.

Watkins allegedly yelled “She is dead, my mom is dead, I killed her,” when police arrived on the scene.

TheCitizensVoice reported that responding officers found Patricia dead in a bathtub. Investigators wrote in a criminal complaint that her face had been “caved in” from her son’s attack, according to WBRE and the Times Leader.

On Tuesday, Watkins tearfully apologized in court, according to the outlet.

"I would like to start by saying I am sorry to my family,” Watkins told the courtroom, The Citizens Voice reported. “I'm extremely remorseful. No words can define how terrible I feel. I loved my mother. I love my family and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,"

Watkins added: "I was suffering from substance abuse disorder and mental health. I took what I though to be Xanax and it sent me into a whirlwind, made me hallucinate, have delusions, things that I cannot describe. I have lost everything because of drugs. Words cannot describe how bad I feel."

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The Times Leaderpreviously reported that in 2009, Patricia had filed a temporary protection-from-abuse petition after alleging that Watkins had assaulted her by shoving her into a radiator inside the family’s home. Patricia reportedly also told authorities that Watkins had threatened to burn the family’s house down after nailing the windows shut and trapping her inside, saying he had plans to watch outside and laugh, according to the outlet.

An autopsy of Patricia’s body following the 2020 murder revealed that she had multiple traumatic injuries, including broken ribs, as well as broken bones in her face and neck, according to the Times Leader.

By entering a guilty plea, Watkins avoided a mandatory life sentence, according to The Citizens Voice.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.