Background: The West Des Moines, Iowa, neighborhood where Nathan Norrell allegedly stabbed his mother (Google Maps). Inset: Nathan Norrell (Dallas County Sheriff's Office).
An Iowa man is behind bars after police said he tried to kill his mother after she told him he could not use her speaker.
Nathan Norrell, 21, was arrested for attempted murder on Feb. 28, hours after the West Des Moines Police Department said he stabbed his mother at their home in West Des Moines. She was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, but reportedly told police that she believed her son was trying to kill her. In court documents obtained by local ABC affiliate WOI, the mother, whose name was not shared publicly, told police she "feared for her life."
WOI reported that according to the court documents, Norrell was drinking heavily on the night of Feb. 28, and at some point, he asked his mother if he could use her speaker in the home's bathroom. She told him he could not. Police said Norrell then waited in the bathroom with a large, fixed-blade knife until his mother entered, then attacked her, stabbing her in the neck. She also sustained defensive wounds to her hands.
Police said Norrell followed her into the kitchen as she attempted to tend to her wounds. Norrell then fled the house when his mother called 911. According to police, Norrell took an Uber to his grandfather's house, then turned himself in at the local police department.
According to the court documents, Norrell's mother told police that she "feared for her life and believed that [her son] was going to kill her." She added that she believed the neck wound she sustained was "intentional," and that her son was found passed out in a bedroom with a knife by his side two weeks earlier.
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When Norrell was questioned by police, he claimed that he blacked out as a result of alcohol and other medications and could not remember what happened.
Online court records showed a long list of charges against Norrell, mostly traffic infractions that have been resolved. In December 2025, he was charged with attempted burglary, a felony, and misdemeanor disorderly conduct and interfering with official acts. Those cases are ongoing.
Norrell was charged with attempted murder and going armed with intent. He was booked into the Dallas County Jail where he is being held on $750,000 cash bond. A no-contact order was issued during a hearing on Sunday. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 10.