A Florida man is accused of fatally beating and strangling his mother, who had recently helped secure his release from jail and relocated him to the state for mental health treatment, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Gibson Nash, 21, faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of his mother, Margaret Chu Dufour, 56, a nurse. Deputies found Dufour on July 21 inside her Polk County home, described by authorities as the scene of a particularly violent crime.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated that Dufour had moved to Florida to help her son, who family members indicated has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and possibly autism. Nash had been arrested twice in April in Tennessee for allegedly threatening his mother, once with a knife over access to an Xbox and another time after she refused to allow him to remain in her vehicle outside a smoke shop.
Despite these incidents, Dufour returned to Tennessee to bond Nash out of jail and then moved to Florida with him. Approximately a month before her death, deputies had responded to her home regarding a dispute with movers who allegedly attempted to overcharge her.
On the morning of July 21, Nash was involved in multiple traffic accidents while driving his mother’s blue BMW SUV. He fled the initial crash and subsequently caused other collisions, resulting in property damage and injuries to three people. Deputies found Nash unconscious behind the wheel of the SUV, covered in blood. The blood was later identified as his mother’s.
While Nash was being treated at a local hospital, deputies went to Dufour’s home because it was listed on the vehicle’s registration. After receiving no answer at the door, they observed a broken glass plate near the patio door and a shovel on the side of the house. Concerned by the suspicious circumstances, deputies entered the residence and discovered Dufour deceased.
The medical examiner determined Dufour died from blunt force trauma and strangulation. Investigators noted significant bruising on Nash’s knuckles and feet, which they believe resulted from him beating his mother.
Nash, who was also reportedly suffering from liver failure due to a Tylenol overdose, had his lawyer, hired by his father, prevent him from being interviewed by law enforcement. However, Sheriff Judd indicated that Nash made incriminating statements on his own.
Nash is also facing two third-degree felony charges for leaving the scene of a crash involving injury. He is being held without bond in the Polk County jail. Authorities described Nash as a clear threat to society, citing the extreme violence of the murder and his subsequent actions.