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Man accused of stabbing mother to death faces judge amid family violence 'crisis'

By and
Updated  August 14, 2024 3:59pm EDT
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

Man charged with murdering mother faces judge

Evan Axelbank reports

TAMPA, Fla. - The suspect accused of stabbing his own mother to death faced a judge for the first time on Wednesday afternoon.

John Aylor, 37, was wearing a suicide prevention suit three days after the attack, which detectives say happened on Silvercrest Ln. in Brandon.

A judge set a hearing for Friday morning for pretrial detention, in order to keep him in jail until the trial starts.

Sheriff Chad Chronister says Julie Aylor, 64, is the 14th person killed by a family member this year, as compared to 16 all of last year.

Pictured: Julie Aylor

"Family violence is a silent crime," he said during a news conference on Tuesday. "There is no blueprint."

FOX 13 has learned that in March of this year, Aylor had been referred by family to the Hillsborough County court system under the Marchman Act for drug abuse intervention services. 

PREVIOUS: Man arrested for allegedly stabbing his mother to death in Brandon: HCSO

Sheriff Chronister, without weighing in on the details of the Aylor case, said The Spring of Tampa Bay is also a crucial resource.

"Too often we're focused on the victim and what that victim has or hasn't done," said Melinda Murphy, the director of The Spring. "Instead of focusing on the perpetrator who's who's causing the harm."

The Spring says that the 462 domestic violence victims they have provided shelter for this year puts them on track to see a 25% increase over 2023. They have also seen a 15% increase in overall requests for service.

WATCH: HCSO arrests man accused of stabbing mother

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office released bodycam footage of the arrest of a man for allegedly stabbing his mother to death in Brandon.

"People with an inherent belief and their right to control their intimate partner and often their children and tell them what to do, when to do, how to do it, maybe are feeling emboldened by the culture we're living in today," said Murphy.

The Spring applauds that between 60 and 95% of strangulation cases, which are often a precursor to even more serious violence, are now being charged as felonies by the Hillsborough County State Attorney's office.

And, they provide legal assistance to domestic violence survivors throughout complicated court processes – 171 survivors in July.

"That's a bit of a crisis," Murphy said. "And we got to do something."

Mugshots of John Aylor over time

Aylor's family says that Julie was afraid of her son, and that the law enforcement and legal systems did not respond effectively to the threat he faced after three dozen arrests.

Friday's hearing could provide more insight into what efforts were made to contain John Aylor.

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